A Concert Love
by 08trekker
Summary: Kurt was tired from hearing about teen singer Blaine Anderson from his best friend, Rachel, but still agreed to go to Blaine's first concert for her birthday. What happened next, he, nor anybody else, would have ever guessed. Third category would be friendship, or drama.
1. Chapter 1 -- The Concert from Hell

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Glee, unfortunately. **

Chapter 1 – The Concert from Hell

When your best friend excitedly shows you two tickets to her favorite singer's first concert, what's a guy to do? Unfortunately for me, the answer is go to the concert with her. See, even though I like a good voice as well as the next guy, I was fed up with hearing about the famous Blaine Anderson. My best friend, Rachel Berry, constantly obsessed over the young singer and would never stop gushing about him. I felt like I knew every random fact about the guy from hearing Rachel talk about him. We constantly listened to his music, and as I said, I thought he had a fantastic voice, but after hearing it on replay for the last year or so of my life, boy, was I tired of it. As much as I loved Rachel, I was so bored with her obsession.

However, good friend that I was, I never voiced my opinion. Rachel was of the opinion that I should be in love with Blaine Anderson, which I rolled my eyes about. Sure, he was an out and proud celebrity with a great voice, but that's all he was – a good voice. I'd never seen a picture of the guy. Nobody had. This was the first concert he had agreed to, and he kept his private life very secretive. Many people had tried to guess what he looked like, but I hadn't. Neither had Rachel, as she had decided she liked a little mystery around the guy. It was weird – Blaine Anderson would agree to phone interviews where he'd talk about his coffee order and his type of guy, but he wouldn't let the world see his face until now. I had gone along with her insanity, not wanting to see his face and develop a crush on him, as I've been known to do with random strangers.

But here Rachel was, two tickets in her hand, pleading puppy-dog look on her face. "Please?" she asked me, waving her dads' birthday gift to her gently.

Taking in her big brown eyes, I wilted. "Fine," I agreed, "but on one condition."

She nodded seriously. "What is it?"

I smiled. "I cover all other expenses as my birthday gift for you."

Shrieking, she threw her arms around me in excitement. "Oh, thank you, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!" she squealed as I hugged her back. Ah, the things I do for my Rachel...

The day of the concert, I drove home with Rachel after school. I insisted on picking out the perfect outfit for her, as in my opinion, she couldn't dress herself to save her soul. After an hour, she was wearing a respectable outfit (though it wouldn't hold a candle to my ensemble of black skinny jeans, a tight black shirt with blue embroidery, a tight black jacket (it was cold out), and black leather ankle boots). Rachel, in turn, was dressed in white: big white coat, a tres chic white dress with silver trim, and high white boots. Much better than the toddler/grandma look she often sported.

Once we were ready, we got into my car and drove to Columbus, where the concert was being held. Rachel being Rachel, I was forced to listen to her iPod mix of all Blaine Anderson on the way there. Oh lord...only five more hours left til the concert begins...

When we got to Columbus, we parked quickly (thank god we'd gotten there early, or there'd be no spots), and hurried into the queue. Rachel was soon drown into a conversation with the guy in front of us, Brody, and I just stood there, wishing I was somewhere, anywhere, but here.

After an hour of waiting in line, we were let into the stadium, and Brody abandoned his friends for a while to walk us to our seats. As it turned out, the group who sat next to us had a missing member, so they told Brody he could sit with us. Rachel and Brody exchanged numbers, and Brody went to tell his friends he was sitting with us.

Rachel gave a contented sigh and settled into her seat, giggling. Smiling, I sat down next to her, giving her a playful nudge. "Oh, shut up!" she told me happily, and I grinned.

"I didn't say a word." I teased her.

We lapsed into silence for a second before she couldn't help herself. "He was adorable, wasn't he?"

"Adorable doesn't work – smoking hot does!" I disagreed, and she giggled.

"True! Do you think he likes me?" she asked, slightly nervous.

Rolling my eyes, I answered, "Of course he did! He's sitting with us, isn't he? And you do look amazing in that outfit."

"Really?"

Putting my arm around her shoulders, I gave her a little squeeze. "Really. He'd have to not have eyes to not see how great you are."

She laid her head on my shoulder, and we snuggled together until Brody came back five minutes later. His expression was priceless. "Oh...um, I can come back." he said awkwardly, and I laughed while Rachel looked confused.

Standing up, I gave Brody a pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry about me, cutie. I'm gay." His face relaxed (almost comically), and I was surprised he didn't seem disgusted by me. Rachel's face also cleared, and she smiled at him and me. "Anyway, I'll leave you two to talk. I'm gonna go get something to eat. Umm, if I miss to first part of the concert, don't mind me." I told them, hoping Brody would give me an excuse to get away from the mania of the concert. There were still two hours to go, but fans were always the craziest people.

"Okay, see you, Kurt!" she told me distractedly as Brody settled into my seat.

Smiling at how cute they looked together, I made my way out of the seating area (our seats were, if you pictured a football stadium, in the middle section of seating, on lefthand side) to the concessions area. Wandering around for a little, I wrinkled my nose at the food choices. Greasy finger food, alcoholic or sugar-filled beverages, or chemical-tasting desserts – no please. As I neared the end of the food stands, I saw a group of guys (college-aged) hanging around the men's bathroom. Not wanting to get into trouble, I quickly turned around, but it was too late. They'd spotted me.

"Hey!" one guy called to me, and I stopped.

Turning around, I put my hands on my hips and my best bitch look on my face. "What do you want?" I asked.

They walked towards me, and I instinctively took a step back. "Hey, no need to be alarmed." another guy told me.

That didn't reassure me. "Can I help you guys?" I asked, and the lead boy smirked.

"Yeah, you can, actually." he got up real close to me, and I could feel my body trembling with nerves. "You can help us prove to the world what we do with fags like you." he told me, and I bolted.

Unfortunately, I wasn't fast enough, and as I cursed my stupidity for letting myself walk this far away from the other people, I was dragged back to the leader. He lifted his hand, stroking my cheek with one finger. "Hey, don't worry, we're not going to hurt you..." he told me softly, then backhanded my face. "Much." he added, laughing, as I sank to the ground.

Lying there, I could feel the cool concrete pressed against my skin contrasting the painful heat coming from the blows laid down on my poor body. There was nothing I could do but lay there, knowing that every thought could be my last. I couldn't scream, as every time I tried, they kicked my harder. Finally, after what seemed like hours of endless torture, they left. Giving me one last kick to the ribs, the leader spat on me. "Tell anyone about this, and next time, we won't be so easy on you." he snarled, then stalked off with his buddies, laughing.

How long I laid there, I don't know. Only the sound of my phone insistently buzzing made me move. Opening it up, I saw a text from Rachel.

**Hey, Kurt, where are you? The concert's gonna start in half an hour! -Kurt**

I dragged myself into the bathroom near me, glad it was empty. Examining myself, I winced. They had thankfully left my face untouched except for the first slap. My hair was messed up, and my cheek was slightly red, but other than that, my face was fine. The rest of me, however, was a different story. Lifting up my shirt, I saw torso was mottled with red, purple, and blue shapes fighting for space. I tried to touch my skin, and winced in pain. There was no way I was getting back to Rachel's seat, let alone out of this bathroom. Even getting into this bathroom had been painful. Sinking against the wall, I took out my cell phone.

**Umm, I'm kinda busy...could Brody possibly take you home? Doesn't he live near us? -Kurt**

I couldn't show myself to Rachel, not like this. I didn't want to freak her out, or ruin her night. Instantly, I got a reply back.

**He says he can (isn't he sweet!). Why? Are you okay? Did you meet someone too?! Spill! -Rachel**

Smiling weakly, I decided to go along with the lie.

**Yeah, I did. He's so cute! Anyway, I said I'd drive him home, so...tell each other details tm? -Kurt**

**Definitely! Have fun! (but not too much fun!) jk! C u tm! -Rachel**

Nodding to myself, I typed out, **See you tomorrow. I love you, Rach. -Kurt**, not knowing what my future held.

Oblivious Rachel didn't put any deeper meaning to this apparently, as she texted me back, **Love you too! Bye! -Rachel**, and that was the last I heard from her.

Call me an idiot for not wanting to ruin her birthday gift despite my condition, but I couldn't think of anything but staying hidden.

Fifteen minutes later, I heard voice outside.

"But—" one voice protested, to which another voice answered frantically,

"Don't worry, I'll be out in a second, Wes. Just, give me a second to myself."

The next second, a man entered the bathroom. He didn't see me at first, being too busy throwing up in one of the toilets. He did, however, notice me as he reemerged, shivering slightly.

"Oh, hi..." he trailed off awkwardly, not really seeing my hidden injuries. I just looked at him, then back at the stall he'd just vacated.

"Don't let me disturb your bulimia." I told him sarcastically, hoping he'd leave quickly.

The look I got in return was full of hurt and anger. "That's not what this is! I'm just nervous."

Rolling my eyes, I replied, "Yeah, calories are just frightening, aren't they. Poor you."

Eyes flashing, he said hotly, "You know what, I'm not going to take abuse from some stupid guy sitting on a bathroom floor."

"Fine, then I'll stand." I replied, and started to stand. Pain flashed through my body, and I sank back onto the ground. "On second thought, I think I'll continue sitting." I said weakly.

Confusion and a hint of concern flashed through the guy's face. "Are-are you okay?" he asked, and I shot him a pain-filled smile.

"I thought you weren't going to take abuse from me?" I asked dryly, and he half-chuckled.

"What happened to you? Do you need help?" he asked me cautiously.

Looking him over, I saw a handsome man maybe a year or two older than me, clad in expensive-looking clothes, probably some straight rich kid.

"No, I do this for fun all the time." I gasped, feeling my possibly broken ribs.

"What happened to you? Why did someone do this?" he asked insistently, and my walls rose even higher.

"Look at my face, and answer your question." I told him dryly, trying to not concentrate on the pain.

"You're gay, aren't you." he realized, and I nodded.

"Good for you. Now, please leave me alone. I don't need a lecture on my sins or how I deserved this." I said, then leaned my head against the wall.

I had expected him to leave me in disgust, so imagine my surprise when I felt a hand on my cheek. "Hey," the guy said softly, "I'm going to help you. I don't care what you are. Now, can you walk?" he asked me.

Surprised, I shook my head. The next second, I was lifted off the ground, held in the guy's strong arms, and carried somewhere. I could hear cries of surprise and shock, but couldn't be bothered to pay attention. I was laid down somewhere else, and my mystery man left someone with me, telling them, "Don't let him leave." After that, I think I fainted, as I don't remember anything else.

When I woke up, there was a man sitting next to me. Not mystery man, but a short Asian man who was looking down at me, worried. Seeing my eyes open, he smiled at me. "Hi, are you okay?" he asked.

I didn't recognize where I was, so I asked, "Where am I?"

"Backstage. You were found in one of the bathrooms, looking rather worse for wear." he answered.

Nodding, I winced as the memories came flooding back. "Who...are you?" I asked.

He gave me a quick smile. "I'm Wes Montgomery, Blaine's manager."

Thinking quick, I decided to get out of here. Sure, everyone had been plenty nice, but I didn't belong here. I needed to get home, to take care of my own injuries, as I was used to. "C-can you help me up?" I asked Wes.

He nodded, and helped me stand up. I was a bit dizzy, but I could walk. Now to get out of here. "C-could you get me a drink?" I asked, and he nodded quickly.

"Okay. Just...wait here, okay?" I nodded, and he hurried off.

Quickly, or as quickly as I could go, I walked out of there. Wandering around until I found the exit, I thanked my lucky stars that I didn't come across someone. Oh, of course, they'd be watching the concert. A couple people at the entrance asked me if I was okay, but I just nodded and lied through my teeth. Finding my car in the almost-dark, I collapsed inside it. Putting my head against the wheel, I cried, tears dripping down my face. How could people be so mean? What was so wrong about me, about being gay? And why did I have to be found? Oh, the humiliation! Mystery man probably hated me right now, courtesy of my rapier wit when hurt. I often pushed people away when I needed them the most, and here I had done it again. I really hoped I could drive, because otherwise, I was sleeping here tonight...

As it turned out, I could drive, and so I did, stopping only at a cafe to get enough caffeine in my system so as to not fall asleep. About halfway back, I realized I was missing my phone. I stopped on the side of the road to search my person. Looking at the clock, I saw it was only 7:30. A little less than an hour back, maybe half an hour to find my phone, then two or so hours back...that'd put me home before midnight...

With a sigh, I turned back, driving back to the concert.

Luckily, wristbands were given at the entrance (and the lady recognized me), so I was allowed back in easily. Looking at the stage, I saw some indistinct figure singing to a wild crowd and sneered. Lucky people – they weren't persecuted against for the way they were born. I vaguely remembered the way I'd come, but there was a guard at the backstage entrance (where had he been before?).

"C-can I g-get through?" I asked him weakly, noticing his brawn and stern face.

"Do you have a pass?" he asked me laconically.

"I-I did, but I lost it." I made up, and he gave me an unconvinced look.

"No pass, no entry."

"Please!" I begged him. "I-I was backstage before, and I dropped my phone. C-can you find it?"

He gave me a look and shook my head. "The best I can do is take your name and a way to reach you in case we find a phone." he said apologetically.

"D-d-do you have paper?" I asked.

Nodding, he handed me a notepad and pencil. Quickly, I wrote 'if you have my phone then you know my name. To return, call speed dial #2'. Glancing at the paper, the guy smiled slightly. "Aren't you a tricky one."

I nodded jerkily, and his eyes squinted. "Are you okay, sir?"

Giving him a stiff smile, I nodded again. "I will be. Thank you very much."

With that, I walked away, back to my car. There. Everything will be fine. I'm safe now, I don't need to go to the hospital, I'll get my phone back sometime. I can go home now.

Luckily enough for me, my dad, Carole, and Finn didn't notice that I got in early, as I blamed it on getting out ahead of the crowd. They also failed to notice how tired and beaten up I was. As much as I loved my family, they were really clueless.

Laying down on my bed, I allowed myself to daydream about mystery man. I wonder where he went. Maybe he was on crew and was needed for the performance. No matter why he left me, he had been sweet...and handsome...and caring...

Although I knew I'd never see him again, I could dream about him, couldn't I? After all, he had saved me...

**A/N: Hi guys! Sorry it's been a while since I've posted anything...I've been really busy with classes and everything, and have also just been introduced to the amazingness of Doctor Who. If any of you out there like scifi, definitely give it a shot – it's brilliant! Anyway, I actually have all of this story written, so all I have to do is edit, and reviews might just speed up that process! ;) FYI, this will be around 20,000 words, and has 6 chapters plus an epilogue, so it's just a quick cute story! Anyway, enough of my rambling – I hope you enjoyed it, and I would love to hear what you guys think! Thanks so much! :D**


	2. Chapter 2 -- The Angel in the Bathroom

**A/N: Hi guys! I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed on the last chapter – they all made me smile so much! I hope I answered any of you who had questions, except for 'Guest', who asked why Blaine initially kept his appearance a secret, and then reveal it at the concert. Blaine kept his appearance a secret because he still wanted to lead a fairly normal life, at least for a little while, without having to deal with fans coming up to him everywhere. He probably wanted to make sure that people saw him as Blaine, not just some celebrity. However, doing a concert/tour would be good for his career, so Wes and David convinced him to do one, and he couldn't very well keep his appearance secret after being seen by thousands, could he? I hope that answers your question! :) Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, nor will I ever, unfortunately. **

Chapter 2 – The Angel in the Bathroom

Who would have guessed the direction my first concert would take? Here I was, famous singer Blaine Anderson, able to be talked into giving a concert by his manager. Well, my manager was one of my best friends, but still...

I had graduated from Dalton Academy last year and moved to New York with the intention of going to college, then pursuing music as a career. Imagine my surprise when not a month into college, a man heard me sing at a karaoke bar and gave me my first record deal. My best friend, Wes, had just graduated college, and was unsure of what he wanted to do, so I hired him as my manager. Surprisingly, I had made it big, but I still wanted to complete college. After a long talk between me, Wes, and the head of the record company, we had decided to keep my life (and face) private, at least until I graduated from college. Sure, people sometimes asked how I had the same name as that celebrity singer, but I always shrugged it off. Living a double life was interesting, but, with Wes and my other friend, David, and me being roommates, it was a facade only put on at college.

However, they had wanted me to do a concert, my first one, which would expose me to the public. I was already officially out (courtesy of my first phone interview), and surprised when the public had taken it well. After a month of asking, I finally agreed to my producer's request, and said I'd do a concert, but only in Columbus. I wanted to see how conservative Ohio, where I'd grown up, took me before I went anywhere else.

So there I was, opening night, scared and nervous as heck. Wes and David were with me backstage, trying to calm me down. Finally, I had had enough, and rushed off. With Wes and David chasing after me, I rushed into one of the public bathrooms. Thankfully, they gave me my privacy. However, the angel leaning against the wall hadn't.

He was a good looking guy, that was easy to see. Pure intelligence shone through his sarcastic wit, and it was easy to see he was hiding something. As he made to get up and sank back down, I saw how hurt he was. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, he had been badly beaten up. And because he was gay...my stomach hurt at the thought. I picked him up (ignoring how right he felt in my arms), and carried him backstage. Wes and David had been horrified at this angel's predicament, and had ushered us to a small room backstage.

Unfortunately, I still had a concert to perform, and I had to leave my angel in Wes' hands.

The concert went well, despite my silent wondering about how my angel was doing. When I had (finally...) sung my last song, I thanked the crowd and rushed backstage. Immediately, I was hugged and congratulated by tons of people, but I was only looking for one man.

Finally, I was able to distance myself from the mass and talk to Wes. "Where is he?" I asked him. My heart dropped as Wes shook his head.

"He's gone, Blaine. He left."

"How?" I asked, shocked and surprised, grasping at strings. "H-he was beaten up, he could barely move, how could he leave?"

Gripping my arm tight to still me, Wes explained, "He woke up after about half an hour or so. He asked for something to drink. When I got back, he was gone. I don't know how he moved, or what happened."

"H-he's gone?" I asked, light-headed. I couldn't believe this. Why would he leave? I hadn't scared him off, had I? Why would he run away from Blaine Anderson? What if he ended up in a ditch somewhere? ….Why did I care so much...?

"Are you okay, Blaine?" Wes asked me nervously, noting my crushed expression.

"I need to find him!" I told Wes, grabbing his arm.

Surprised, Wes nodded. "O-okay. Let's ask everyone." Wes yelled loudly, "Hey! Everyone, shut up!"

After a second, everyone quieted down. "Did anyone see a young man, blue eyes, brown hair, slim build, wandering around here?" Wes asked everyone.

"Was he the guy you carried in, Blaine?" one of the crew asked, and I nodded.

"Yeah. He was hurt, so we took him backstage, but he left. We want to find him, just to be sure he's okay." I said.

"What was his name?" another guy asked.

Wes looked to me, and I gave a weak shrug. "I, umm, I never asked."

A couple people groaned, but one guy, one of the guards, asked, "Did he loose his cell phone?"

Confused, I shrugged. "I don't know...why?"

The guard shrugged. "Some guy tried to get backstage near the end of the concert. He said he left his phone backstage, but he didn't have a pass."

Heart beating erratically, I asked, "What did he look like?" as Wes ran off to see if he could find a phone.

"Umm," the guard thought for a second, "a few inches taller than you, pale skin, blue-green eyes, chestnut hair—"

"Was he beautiful?" I blurted out, ignoring the snickers around me.

The guard smiled at me, thankfully not patronizingly. "If I was gay, I definitely would not turn down a date with him."

"That's him! Did he give you a name, address, number, anything?" I asked him frantically.

Before the guard could answer, Wes came up besides me, handing me a phone. "I found this where you set him down. It's none of ours..."

Eagerly, I grabbed the phone. Opening it up, I saw the background showed my angel and another girl laughing at the photographer. He looked so...happy and carefree...so different from when I'd seen him. Going to his messages (no, I wasn't a stalker), I saw the last one he made was to a girl named Rachel. The girl next to him in the picture? Debating for a second whether to open the message, I threw caution to the wind and read his last text conversation.

Confused, I looked up. The time said it was from only minutes before I'd come across him, but why would he lie? Ohhh, he didn't want to tell his friend what happened...so he was a stoic one...huh. That's why he ran – he didn't want to depend on anyone. But here, at the end of his messages, he signed off 'Kurt'. So my angel's name was Kurt...

"Did he give you a name?" I asked the guard again, checking.

He nodded. "Yeah. He wrote this down." and he handed me a piece of paper. On it read, 'if you have my phone then you know my name. To return, call speed dial #2''. "Wait, what's this mean?" I asked, confused.

Grinning, the guard answered, "He was a smart one. I asked him to write down his name and a way for us to contact him if we found his phone."

"Thank you." I thanked the guard, keeping the paper.

He nodded, and left, along with the rest of the crowd. I was left with Wes and David. "You guys think I'm insane, don't you?"

They patted me on my back. "Nope, just crushing on some cute stranger." David joked, and I swatted him on the arm.

"I'm actually worried about him, though. You know? Someone beat him up, probably for being gay...isn't that what I'm supposed to be fighting against?" I asked rhetorically.

Wes answered anyways. "There's only enough that you can do, Blaine. Don't beat yourself up over this." When I didn't reply, he pressed on. "Look, you have his phone, and a way to contact him. Call him tomorrow. It'll be a Saturday, so he won't be at school, whether he goes to high school or college. Maybe you guys will hit it off, but we won't know _until tomorrow_." he stressed, and I nodded.

"Okay. But I'm calling tomorrow." I said firmly, and they both nodded.

"Okay. Now, let's get to our hotel. I don't know about you, but I'm tired." Wes decided, and David and I followed him out.

The next morning, I waited until appropriate calling time (about 10 am) until I picked up Kurt's phone. I pressed 2, then the call button. I waited with bated breath while it rang. After three rings, a deep voice answered, "Hello?"

"Hi? Is this Kurt?" I asked nervously.

"No, this is his dad. Who are you?" the voice answered.

Gulping nervously, I answered with a question. "Is Kurt there? Did he get home safe?"

Kurt's dad gave a small laugh. "Kiddo, Kurt's in his room sleeping, and yes, he got home safe. Now, who are you, and why are you asking all these questions?"

Thinking quickly, I replied, "I met Kurt last night at the concert."

"Oh yeah, that thing Rachel dragged him to. Did he have a good time? He didn't talk much when he came home." Kurt's dad asked.

Not wanting to give anything away, I replied, "Umm, yeah, it was a good concert. Anyway, he left his phone there, and I found it."

"Okay. Where do you live? He can probably come meet you somewhere." Kurt's dad told me.

My heart leapt. "Really? I'm in Columbus. Actually, I can come to wherever you are. I wouldn't want him to have to drive far. Where, um, are you?" I finished awkwardly.

He chuckled. "Kurt lives in Lima, kiddo. Why don't you meet him at the Lima Bean at one? Just put it into your GPS, and it'll get you there." he suggested.

"Perfect!" I grinned. "Tell him I'll be there at one!"

"Wait!" Kurt's dad stopped me from hanging up.

"Yeah?" I asked, nervous.

"What's your name? I don't think I got it." he asked, and I smiled awkwardly at the phone.

"Ah, I'm Blaine, but Kurt doesn't know my name either. We only met briefly." I explained. Wait a second, I hadn't told Kurt my name, had I? What if he didn't know who I was? Wow, that's awkward...

Kurt's dad's small, "Oh," made me squirm slightly. "Umm, just tell him I'm the guy he met in the bathroom, okay?"

"Okay, Blaine. Thanks for this." he thanked me.

"No problem. I'm happy to do it." I replied, and he hung up. Only three hours until I saw Kurt again...

Oh god, what should I wear?

_Kurt's POV_

The first thing I felt when I woke up was instant pain in my ribs. Cursing the guys from last night, I pulled up my shirts to survey the result. Yup, my torso would be covered with bruises for another few weeks. What a party. Luckily, my face was fine, so all I'd have to do to cover myself would be wear long sleeves. Thank god it was cold out.

Shrugging on a hoodie (yes, Kurt Hummel did own the occasional hoodie), I trudged into the kitchen. There dad was, sipping a mug of coffee and eating an english muffin. "That better be decaf." I told him, pouring myself the rest of the pot.

"Of course, kid. Anyway, a friend of yours called." dad informed me.

"Who?" I asked, curious. Generally Cedes slept in til noon, and it was only a little after 10. Rachel? I just saw her last night, though.

"He said his name was Blaine, but you didn't know his name. You met him last night in the bathroom?" Dad raised his eyes over this, and I half-choked on my coffee.

"Oh, yeah, we talked for a little bit. What did he want?" I asked, suspicious. How did he get my number?

"He said he found your phone. He's meeting you at the Lima Bean at one to return it." Dad told me, and I tried not to groan out loud. I hadn't wanted to see him ever again...

Forcing a smile onto my face, I said, "Great, thanks. I'll be sure to meet him then."

With that, I went back into my room to find something to wear. So mystery man's name was Blaine, huh? Just like Blaine Anderson. That's weird, going to a concert where the person has the same first name as you...

I took a long shower, trying to avoid water hitting the particularly sensitive bruises on my chest, then coiffed my hair and did my moisturizing routine. After that was done, I picked out a kickass outfit. No way was I showing vulnerability to Blaine. Even though he might be kind, and thoughtful, and sweet, and conscientious, but he was probably straight, and I wasn't going to let myself crush on him...consciously...

At 12:50, I left for the Lima Bean. I didn't want to meet Blaine again, but I needed my phone back, and it would be polite to thank the guy. Besides, the sooner I got my phone, the sooner he'd go away and not be able to tell my friends or my dad about what happened.

_Blaine's POV_

I got to the Lima Bean about five minutes early. I had told Wes and David where I was going, and they'd rolled their eyes and reminded me that I needed to be at the stadium by 7 to get ready for my concert tonight (this one would be later, starting at 9). Nodding, I had dashed off to drive madly to Lima. When I got there, I bought myself my customary medium drip (their coffee was really great), then awkwardly asked the barista, "Hi, does a Kurt often come here?"

She had nodded, smiling. "Yeah, all the time. Blue eyes, brown hair, slender?" she checked.

"Yeah!" I exclaimed. "I'm meeting him here. Does he, um, have a usual order or something?"

Nodding, she had made a grande non-fat mocha for me. "Thank you so much!" I thanked her, and took my coffee and Kurt's mocha over to a table.

I had to wait for three minutes until Kurt entered the cafe. Glancing around, he spotted me, and made my way over to him. My heart jumped at the sight of my angel. He looked...good. At least, his outward appearance seemed fine, but looking closer, his eyes seemed drawn and tired, and he carried himself carefully.

"Are you Blaine?" he asked, still standing in front of me.

I smiled at him, trying to ease the tension in his shoulders. "Yeah, and you're Kurt. You can sit down." I nudged the other chair towards him, and he cautiously sat down. "This is for you. Don't worry, I asked the barista what your regular order was." I told him, pushing the mocha towards him as well.

Eyes guarded, he took a cautionary sip, then relaxed slightly. "Thank you."

"No problem. So, what's your last name?" I questioned him curiously.

Kurt straightened. "Hummel. Do you have my phone?" he asked.

Nodding, I took it out of my pocket and slid it across the table. Examining it for a second, Kurt Hummel pocketed it. "Thank you for returning it."

He made as if to get up, and I instantly said, "No, wait! Stay, please."

Looking at me curiously, he stayed in his seat. After a second of staring at me, he sighed. "I suppose this is the time when you ask me why I was beaten up, or why I ran off yesterday."

"If you don't mind..." I said awkwardly.

"Well, see, I actually do, so next time, mind your own business." he stood up suddenly. "I didn't need your help yesterday, and I don't need it now. So thanks, but no thanks. Have a nice life."

Confused and hurt, I just looked up at him, stunned into silence. Before he could stalk off, a voice came from behind us. "Hey, fairy, what're you doing here? Shouldn't you be painting your nails somewhere?"

Kurt flinched, his gaze focusing on the boy behind me. He was a big beefy fellow wearing a letterman jacket for some high school. So Kurt was still in high school...and bullied by the jocks. Much becoming clear...

"Oh, go stick your head in an oven, Karofsky." Kurt shot back at the jock. He looked at me, muttered, "Thanks for the coffee," and walked out of the coffee shop.

Hurrying after him (after shooting the jock a killer glare), I found him leaning against a car in the parking lot. "Hey, are you okay?" I asked him gently, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Kurt cast me a disparaging look. "Do I look okay to you? You see what I have to put up with daily..."

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked him, wanting desperately to be able to _do_ something, instead of just standing here.

"Kill homophobia?" he suggested dryly, and I laughed.

"Oh, believe me, I've been trying. But it's a process...a slow, slow process." I said ruefully.

"Wait, are you gay too?" Kurt asked suddenly, and I nodded.

"Yeah, of course I am. I thought I was out to the public." I answered.

Kurt's eyes widened as he put two and two together. "The...public...are you Blaine Anderson?"

Giving him a slight bow, I nodded. "Guilty as charged."

"So that's why you were puking your guts out yesterday...you were nervous?" Kurt asked, surprisingly composed.

"Yup. My first concert and everything..." I trailed off, surprised he wasn't treating me differently.

"Oh...sorry about the bulimic comment. I just use bitchiness as a self-defense mechanism." he informed me.

I laughed. "Yeah, I figured that out."

There was an awkward silence before, out of the blue, I asked him, "Do you want to come back to Columbus with me?"

"What?" Kurt asked, his surprise evident in his voice.

Embarrassed, I looked at my feet as I explained, "Well, you missed the concert last night, so I was wondering if you wanted to see it tonight. I could get you a seat in the stands, or by the stage, or you could watch it from backstage."

Kurt smiled, and I basked in its glow for a moment. "That would be great. Umm, how late's this one going to be?"

After I got over the fact that he'd agreed to it, I answered, "Oh, um, it starts at 9, so it'll probably be over by 11 or 12... How about this, I can get you a room at the hotel I'm staying at."

Nodding, Kurt agreed. "Thank you. That's really sweet of you. I'd love to come."

"Great!" I grinned. "Now, why don't we go to your house, pack a bag, tell your dad, and we can drive to Columbus."

"Sounds good." Kurt agreed, and surprised me by giving me a gentle hug. After a moment, I hugged him back, careful of the bruises I knew had to exist underneath his shirt. "Thank you for doing this, Blaine. You're really sweet."

"You're welcome. I'm really glad we met, Kurt." I told him sincerely.

Kurt smiled at me, then we got into his car, and he drove to his house. Time to meet the family.

**A/N: There, I hope you liked this chapter! If you have any questions/comments, please review/PM me! I love hearing from you guys!**


	3. Chapter 3 -- Second Concert

**A/N: First, I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed! I'm so glad y'all like my story, and I've loved reading all your reviews! I especially wanted to thank and dedicate this chapter to svallkille, who always writes the sweetest things! This one's for you!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.**

Chapter 3 – Second Concert

_Kurt's POV_

I don't know why I opened up to him, but for a celebrity, he seemed really nice and caring. I might have to correct my earlier boredom with Rachel's obsession with him. I mean, who offers free backstage passes to a guy they met the day before who accused them of being bulimic? Who drives two hours to return the cell phone of a guy he barely knows. Awkwardly, as I pulled into my driveway, I asked him, "Hey, Blaine?"

"Yeah?" he asked, looking over at me.

"Are we friends? I mean, do celebrities have ordinary friends?" I asked awkwardly, cringing inside.

He gave me a big smile. "Of course we're friends. And I don't know many other celebrities, but you're anything but ordinary, Kurt."

Blushing, I parked the car. "Thanks. Well, welcome to my house."

_Blaine's POV_

Looking at the ordinary house in front of me, I smiled largely. "It's beautiful."

Smiling to himself (I could still see it, though), Kurt got out, and opened the front door for me. "Hey, dad?" he called.

"Kurt?" a feminine voice called out, and a middle-aged lady with short, brown hair walked towards us.

"Hi, Carole, is dad home?" Kurt asked her.

"Yeah, he's in the living room watching football with Finn. Hi, what's your name?" she answered Kurt, then turned to me with a smile.

"My name's Blaine Anderson, ma'am. I'm a friend of Kurt's." I introduced myself, holding out a hand.

Waving aside my hand, she gave me a quick hug. "Nice to meet you. And call me Carole. I'm Burt's girlfriend."

"Thank you, Carole." I said, then followed Kurt as he walked into the living room.

Sitting in front of the TV was an older man, probably the one I'd spoken to earlier, and a tall teenager a little younger than me. Their eyes were fixed on the screen, and they were sharing a bowl of chips. "Dad!" Kurt scolded, snatching up the bowl of chips.

"Oh, hey kiddo. I was only having a few!" his dad defended himself and Kurt shook his head.

"NO sodium or fats or anything bad, dad! That includes chips!" he said vehemently.

Smiling, Kurt's dad nodded ruefully. "Fine, Kurt. Oh, who's this?" his eyes fell on me.

"Hi, I'm Blaine. We spoke on the phone earlier, sir." I told him, holding out my hand.

After a second, he shook my hand firmly, saying, "Nice to meet you. And call me Burt, sir sounds too old."

I nodded and smiled, pleased. "So, what's going on?" Burt asked us, looking from me to Kurt, then back to me.

"Uh, I didn't really get a chance to see the concert last night with Rachel." Kurt started.

"Why not?" Burt cut in, looking at me.

Since Kurt obviously didn't want his dad to know what really happened, I lied, "Ah, he got food poisoning." Glancing at Kurt, I saw he was nodding, so I went further with it. "Some of the food there is really bad, and Kurt here ate something really bad."

"And you met each other in the bathroom?" Burt asked, remembering what I'd said on the phone.

Looking nervously at me, Kurt nodded. "Yeah. I went to a vacant bathroom because I didn't feel so great, then Blaine came in and helped me out. I dropped my phone at some point, and here we are." he finished awkwardly.

"Okay. So, umm, what's up?" Burt asked, obviously accepting our slapdash story.

"Well, I felt bad that Kurt didn't get to see the concert, so I was thinking he could come to the one tonight, maybe stay overnight in a hotel, and I could take him back tomorrow morning." I told Burt.

His eyes rode and he smiled curiously at Kurt. "I, umm, I thought you hated that singer, Kurt. Isn't he the one Rachel always talks about?"

Okay, I'll admit it, at that second, I felt like my heart had been crushed. Hurt, I looked at Kurt, who stood there wide-eyed and blushing. "Thank you, dad." he hissed between clenched teeth, then turned to me. "Don't listen to him. Okay, so my best friend is obsessed with you and constantly plays your music, so I'll admit that I was a little reluctant to go to your concert, but I'd really love to go now!" he rambled slightly.

He was so...adorable. Yeah, I could see how if his best friend constantly played my music, he could get tired of it. Wes always complained about listening to my Katy Perry nowadays, though it had been him who had told me I'd like her music in the first place. I let him ramble a little bit more before putting my hand on his shoulder. "Hey," I told him, giving him a reassuring smile, "I get it. I don't care."

"Thank you." Kurt breathed, relieved.

"Wait, why's it his concert? Oh..." Burt belatedly realized, eyes widening. "Sorry, sir, I, umm, didn't realize who you were."

"No worries. Neither did Kurt, at first, either. And call me Blaine, sir makes me sound too old." I told Burt, giving him an easy smile.

Thankfully, Burt relaxed right away. "Got it, kiddo. So, what hotel would he be staying at?"

"The Marriott. Wes, my manager, could easily get him a room next to ours." I answered immediately.

"Do you want to go, Kurt?" Burt directed this question at his son.

Kurt, to my relief, nodded his head frantically. "Good. Okay, go do whatever. Just be back before 10 tomorrow – it's a school night." Burt told Kurt, who broke out in a huge grin and hugged his dad.

"Thank you, Dad! Here, I'll go pack a bag. Be right back!" and Kurt dashed off to his room, leaving me standing there awkwardly, unsure of what I should do.

Grinning, Burt pointed to a chair. "You might want to get comfy, Blaine. Kurt can take forever to pack."

Smiling, I sank down into the armchair, still stunned at how everything was going. "So, wait, _you're_ Blaine Anderson?" the tall teenager asked me, confused.

I nodded, smiling. "Yeah. Umm, are you Kurt's brother?"

"I'm kinda his not-legally step-brother, yeah. Carole's my mom, I'm Finn." he explained briefly, and I nodded. Quasi-step-brother, good, not boyfriend.

"Nice to meet you."

"So, why all the interest in my son?" Burt asked me bluntly, and I blinked in surprise.

"I...like him?" I said, turning it into a question.

Burt chuckled. "Yeah, anyone can see that, but that doesn't answer my question. Are you planning to ever see him again? Are you planning on only staying friends, or are you gonna ask him out or what?"

Wow, okay, forwardness. I leaned forward and asked, "What would you say if I told you I wanted Kurt to be my boyfriend, but I didn't know how to ask him?"

Finn's eyes widened, but Burt only smiled and answered, "I'd say that you have my permission, for one, and that my son is a romantic, if that helps." His gaze hardened. "I'd also tell you that if you hurt him, celebrity or not, I have a shotgun and I'm not afraid to use it." I gulped, and Burt relaxed his glare. Smiling, he added, "But I'd also have to stress upon you how hard long-distance relationships can be. If you're going to ask him to be part of one, then you better be committed enough to keep it."

I nodded fervently. "I know all of that...but...Kurt's special, you know? I mean, there I am in that bathroom, trying to get over my stage fright, and there's Kurt, obviously not feeling well, sarcastically calling me bulimic, and he still looks amazing, and..." I trailed off, and Burt laughed.

"No need to tell me all those things, Blaine. I know them already. Just...be responsible, and have a good time, okay?"

"Okay." I nodded.

Finn piped up, "Yeah, and he's like a little brother, so if you hurt him, I'll beat you up, too."

"Thanks." I smiled, and Finn nodded.

"Anytime, dude."

"Okay, I'm ready!" Kurt announced, reentering the room carrying a suitcase.

"Umm, it's only one night..." I reminded him awkwardly, eyeing the suitcase.

"Yeah, so?" he asked, clueless as to what I was getting at.

Finn mouthed, 'Just go with it', and I nodded. "Great! So, do you want to head to Columbus now, get you a room, eat something, then go to the concert, or how do you want to work this?" I asked Kurt.

He shrugged. "Sounds perfect to me."

"Have a good time, boys. Be safe, don't accept rides from strangers, and don't get food poisoning!" Burt told us cheerfully.

Laughing, I answered, "Will do. Nice to meet you, Burt." and we left.

I took Kurt's suitcase from him and put it in his car. Suddenly realizing, I asked Kurt, "Umm, is it okay if we leave your car at the Lima Bean overnight? We could bring it back here, but that'd take extra time..."

"Yeah, that's fine. I've left it there before, don't worry about it." Kurt assured me and I smiled.

"Great. Well, then, to the Lima Bean we go!"

We drove to the Lima Bean, switching cars, and I started driving my car towards Columbus. Kurt and I seemed perfect for each other – we never ran out of conversation topics, and seemed to agree on everything, from Vogue covers to Broadway stars.

About halfway there, I cautiously asked, "Are you, you know, okay? I mean, are you hurt at all?"

Flinching slightly, he shrugged. "I'll live. I doubt they broke any of my ribs, and even if they did, there isn't really anything you can do about it."

When I didn't say anything, Kurt put a hand on my shoulder (and I tried to concentrate on not crashing the car instead of the warm heat now radiating through my body). "Hey," he said quietly, "there's nothing you could've done. Besides, I'm used to this. The jocks in my school don't like me much either."

"You shouldn't have to deal with that. I mean, ever. How could anybody hate you?" I finished awkwardly.

He smiled at me, and we lapsed into silence. A few minutes later, I belatedly realized the Wes didn't know what was going on. "Oh." I said, shaking my head.

"What?" Kurt asked me, worried.

"I just completely remembered that I haven't told Wes what's going on..." I rolled my eyes.

"Oh." Kurt seemed nervous. "Will he not allow it. That's okay, you can take me home or—"

"He won't mind at all. In fact, he'll think it's great. He was really worried about you too." I cut off Kurt's (adorable) nervous rambling.

Kurt fidgeted slightly in his seat. "What's wrong?" I asked him, and he sighed slightly.

"I've just...I've never had other people worried about me before..." he admitted.

Ignoring the ache in my chest this statement caused, I took one hand off the wheel, putting it on Kurt's. Brushing my thumb over the top of his hand, I told him, "Well, now you have me."

We drove like this for the rest of the ride, only taking my hand off his when I pulled off the highway. After a few minutes of surface streets, I pulled into the Marriott.

"We never did tell Wes." Kurt commented, and I smiled.

"No, we didn't. Well, now you get to see his surprised face."

"Fun. Is it amusing?" he asked.

I grinned. "Very."

Hopping out of the car, I pressed my cell to my ear. "Hello? Blaine, is that you?" Wes asked, picking up on the first ring.

"Yup. Can you meet me in the lobby now?" I requested.

"Sure. Be down in a minute." he told me, thankfully not asking for an explanation.

"Shall we go in?" I asked Kurt, offering him my arm. Giggling, he accepted it, and we strolled in together, leaving his bag in the car. As we got to the lobby, Wes came down. The moment he saw Kurt, he started running towards us.

"You found him!" he exclaimed.

Kurt smiled. "Hi, I'm Kurt."

Excitedly, Wes hugged both of us together. "So, what's going on here? Don't you live in Lima or something?"

"He does. I thought, since he couldn't hear it yesterday, that he could come watch the concert tonight. It'd be too late to drive home afterwards, though, so could we get him a room here for tonight?" I informed Wes, who grinned at me.

"Hey, why doesn't he sleep in your room? I mean, there're two beds, and that way, it doesn't cost any more." he suggested, giving me an evil smirk.

Kurt looked slightly shocked, so I immediately said, "Uh, only if Kurt's fine with it. If you're not, we can get you another room, don't worry."

He shot me a crooked smile. "Sharing's fine. I mean, I'd still get my own bed and all."

"Perfect!" Wes chimed, and handed Kurt a keycard for my room (he had been keeping the second one). I tossed him my keys so he could get Kurt's suitcase. Comically looking from me to my keys in his hand, he muttered, "What am I, your valet?"

"Nope!" I cheerfully quipped. "You're my manager. Same thing!"

Rolling his eyes at us, he left to get Kurt's suitcase, and I pulled Kurt towards the elevator. "Do you want to press the buttons, or should I?" I asked him childishly.

Grinning at me, Kurt informed me, "You can press them on the way up, but I call the way down!"

As we walked down the hallway towards the room, I marveled at how perfect Kurt was. Beautiful appearance, intelligent and quick mind, very cultured, and to top it off, able to relax and have a good time. Yes, mother, I want _this_ one...

Once we settled Kurt into the room, we decided to go out for an early dinner. We drove around Columbus for a little while, looking for a place that looked good. After a little while, we decided to go to a Japanese hot pot place that looked really cosy and good after walking through a little park.

The park had a few other couples wandering aimlessly around, and after a minute, I took Kurt's hand again. He shot me a quick smile, squeezing my hand gently.

After a few minutes, I couldn't take the pressure, and I turned to Kurt, releasing his hand. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did." he smiled at me, and I ducked my head.

"Alright. Can I ask you another question, not counting this one?" I smiled nervously.

"Of course." he allowed, and I took a deep breath.

"Would you ever consider being part of a long distance relationship?"

Obviously this was not a question he expected, as he breathed out in shock. "W-what?" he asked.

Biting my lip nervously, I asked it another way. "If someone asked you out, but they didn't live near you, would you still go out with them?"

"I-I don't understand what you're saying." Kurt stuttered, unsure of what was going on. At least he hadn't run away yet, my optimistic side noted. Okay, time to be blunt.

"Is this a date? Are we on a date?" I asked him, gesturing around the park.

Gathering his wits, Kurt fired the question back at me. "Do you want it to be?"

Not able to speak suddenly, I nodded fervently. Kurt smiled softly and took my hand. "Then a date it is." he murmured and I smiled.

I, Blaine Anderson, was on an official date with the handsomest guy in all of Ohio. Could life get any better?

We strolled around the park a little while until Kurt started to get hungry, and we went to the hot pot place for dinner. As we had expected, it was very cosy, and there was something really sweet about eating that way – stealing each other's vegetables, meats, and noodles. Dinner started out slightly awkward (as most first dates are prone to do), but once we got past the awkwardness and just started talking, conversation flowed easily.

After we'd eaten and paid (I had had to snatch up the bill before Kurt could claim it, though he'd protested), we headed over to the stadium, where Wes, David, and everyone else were waiting for us. I was immediately bustled off for makeup and warmups, but I managed to snag Kurt along for the ride. He and my stylist got into a fashion conversation that left my head spinning. When my stylist was done with me, he whispered, "He's a keeper. Good job." in my ear, and I grinned and thanked him, Kurt looking on in bemusement.

"What'd he say?" Kurt asked once he'd left.

Smiling innocently, I answered, "Just that you had a great fashion sense."

Looking at me suspiciously, Kurt asked, "Should I trust you?"

Grinning, I replied, "And why would you ever do that?"

"It's a question." Kurt nodded, smiling at me.

**A/N: Yay, so they're officially together! But the story doesn't end there, nope, there's another twist coming! :) And reviews might speed up the process a little! Once again, I want to thank everyone who's reviewed, especially svallkille, who's truly amazing! Enjoy, everyone!**


	4. Chapter 4 -- Plans Foiled

**A/N: Hi guys! Here's the next chapter! I hope you guys enjoy it... ;)**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Glee...**

Chapter 4 – Plans Foiled

_Kurt's POV_

The concert was amazing. That's all I can say. Blaine had such an incredible energy about him as he bounded around the stage, singing his heart out. Whenever he'd come backstage for the two seconds it'd take him to change clothes, I'd always give him a big hug, tell him how great he was doing, then send him back out, grinning the whole time.

When it was over, Blaine came backstage, panting from his effort, gleaming with sweat. He looked hot...really, really hot. "How was I?" he asked me, grinning.

Once I regained my voice, I answered, "You were amazing!"

Stepping a little closer to me, he asked seriously, "Are you sure I wasn't too...boring?"

I was about to protest when I saw the mischievous twinkle in his eye, so I hit him on the arm gently.

"You're never going to let that one go, are you?" I asked.

Massaging his arm ruefully, he grinned. "Nope!" he popped the 'p'.

A bunch of other people came to congratulate Blaine on a successful second concert, and I stepped back slightly to let Blaine have his praise. Blaine, however, wouldn't let me go that easily, and kept ahold of my hand the whole time. A couple people asked who I was, and when Blaine told them, they all smiled knowingly. "You're the guy from last night, right?" one guy checked, and I nodded.

"Cool. I'm glad Blaine found you." he said, clapped me on the shoulder, and left. Thinking back, I realized I had only known Blaine for a little more than a day now...weird. It felt like we'd known each other for much longer, our whole lives even.

Finally, forty-five minutes later, we were set free. "So, what do you want to do now?" Blaine asked me, still flushed.

"Aren't you tired?" I asked him curiously. It was a little after midnight, yet he seemed to be bouncing with energy.

"After-concert adrenaline rush." he explained, then asked, "Are you? Tired, I mean. We don't have to do anything if you are tired. Or if you're not, I don't know, I leave it up to you..." he rambled slightly.

I shook my head. "Nope, surprisingly not tired."

"Do you want to go back to the hotel and watch movies?" Blaine suggested.

"That sounds great." I agreed.

Blaine offered me a hand and I took it, smiling. Hand in hand, we made our way out to Blaine's car. Wes stopped us on the way, and reminded Blaine of some interview in New York he had in a week. Blaine nodded and waved Wes off. However, this made me think – how long was Blaine even going to be in Ohio? I knew he had only scheduled two concerts, but was he going to stick around, or leave again for New York tomorrow?

When we got to the hotel, we changed into our pajamas (Blaine showering, then changing in the bathroom to give me privacy), and sat on Blaine's bed, watching The Little Mermaid on his labtop. After Ariel's voice had been taken away, I finally voiced my concerns to Blaine.

"Hey, Blaine?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah?" he replied, muting the movie, and turning to look at me.

"Umm, when you asked if I'd have a long-distance relationship, what did that entail?" I blurred the question.

Blaine, however, knew exactly what I was asking. "You mean, when am I leaving, when are we going to see each other?" he specified.

Mutely, I nodded.

He smiled kindly at me. "Well, I planned to stay in Ohio for another few days until I have to leave for my interview...and as for seeing each other after that, well, I can always drive or fly out here, or you could come to New York sometime. I could show you the city! You'd love it..." he rambled on and on, looking very much like an adorable, over-enthusiastic puppy, "...other than that, lots of Skype dates, texting, and late-night calls." he concluded. Checking my face, he asked cautiously, "Is that okay? I don't know if I can come to Ohio every weekend, but maybe once or twice a month would be more manageable..."

Curling up against him, I nodded. "That sounds perfect."

He put his arm around me, hugging me close to his chest, and kissed my head. We watched the rest of the movie in silence, but I never saw the end. I fell asleep, curled next to Blaine on his bed, his strong arms around me.

The next morning started out lovely, but quickly turned bad. I woke up next to Blaine (a realization that made my heart thump loudly) to find him awake, smiling down at me while he stroked my hair.

"Hi." he said softly.

"Hi." I repeated, looking up at him.

"How'd you sleep?" he inquired, still playing with my hair. Boy, did that feel good...

"Like a rock. You?" I asked.

"Perfectly. Do you want some breakfast?" he asked me.

Nodding, I sat up and stretched. Turning to look at Blaine, I saw that he had been staring at me, and I blushed. "Breakfast?" I asked, smiling playfully now.

He laughed at himself, shaking it off. "Breakfast." he agreed.

We got dressed quickly, and headed out, after first telling Wes where we were going. Wes nodded and waved us off, telling us he'd call Blaine's cell if he needed anything. We found a cute little brunch place nearby, and settled down. Five minutes later, we'd ordered and were making small talk while we waited for our food. Thankfully, no one recognized Blaine (probably because he'd only revealed his face for the first time on Friday), and we were able to enjoy our meal when it came in peace. That was, until Blaine's cell phone began ringing, cutting him off mid-sentence.

Shooting me an apologetic look, he pressed it to his ear. "Yeah, Wes, what do you want?" he asked.

A few seconds later, his face grew very, very, very pale, and his eyes widened. "What happened?" he demanded.

Nervously, I watched his hands clench up, knuckles turning white. Cautiously, I took his hand, holding it tightly, unsure of what was going on. Blaine didn't even notice, too immersed in whatever Wes was telling him.

After a minute, Blaine nodded, saying, "We'll be right back," and hung up the phone.

"What's going on?" I asked him, worried.

Blaine stared into space (a dark, troubled space) for a second before answering, "My brother, in New York, he's in the hospital...somebody tried to rob his apartment, he walked in on them, and got himself shot...dammit!" Blaine exclaimed, striking the table.

Seeing how Blaine was unable to do anything, I called the waitress over. "Hi, we need to go right now. Umm, here, keep the change." I threw down two twenties on the table (more than enough for our breakfast), grabbed Blaine, and hurried out of there.

Blaine seemed to come to his senses as we got to his car, and he wordlessly got in and started driving back towards the hotel. He parked quickly, then rushed into the lobby, where Wes and David were waiting for us, along with a bunch of suitcases.

"Do I have a flight booked?" Blaine immediately asked.

Wes nodded. "It leaves in two hours. Your stuff is packed and ready to go."

"Thank you." Blaine automatically said, then turned to David.

"I'll do it." David said. "My flight is the next one after yours, which is unfortunately tomorrow."

Trying to make some sense of this all, I asked, "Wait, what's going on?"

Wes and Blaine traded a glance, and Wes and David gave us a little space. Softly, Blaine explained, "I have to go to New York right now for my brother. Wes will come with me, and David will stay so he can drive you home, and return our rental car. I'm sorry, Kurt." he ducked his head apologetically.

"Hey," I lifted up his chin gently, "it's okay. Go be with your brother. He needs you more right now than I do. I'll still be here whenever you can get back."

Blaine breathed out, shaking his head slowly. He gave me a small smile. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"You're the amazing one. Now, go, don't miss your flight." I pushed him towards where Wes and David were waiting.

Wes glanced outside, then jerked his head at the door. "Our taxi's here, Blaine."

Blaine looked at me, torn, and I gave him another push. "Go."

He nodded decisively, and started towards the door. When he was just about to go through it, I shrieked, "Wait!"

Startled, he turned around just in time to see me hurtle towards him, hugging him tightly. My boyfriend, my first and only boyfriend was leaving me for a while, and I wanted something to remember. After a moment, I pulled slightly away so I could kiss him, but just as our lips were about to touch, the taxi honked loudly, and Blaine pulled back. Sighing, I gave him a slight peck on the cheek, then released him.

"I'll see you soon." Blaine promised me before walking away, leaving me with my suitcase and David.

"Come on," David tapped my arm gently, "let's get your stuff in the car, how about it?"

I spent the next two hours in a car with David, making awkward conversation occasionally, but mostly listening to music. I was upset Blaine had to leave so soon, but I understood why, of course, and I knew if something ever happened to Finn, even though we weren't legally related, I'd come to him in a second.

When we finally pulled in front of my house, David offered to walk me in, but I politely refused. I kinda wanted to go straight into my room, curl up in a ball on my bed, and listen to all the Blaine Anderson songs Rachel had bought for me. David seemed to understand that, and giving me a pat on my arm, he popped open the trunk. I grabbed my suitcase, waved goodbye to David, and headed inside.

On the trip home, I'd thought about how much I wanted to tell my dad. I decided to not tell him about us being boyfriends until Blaine was back, so we could tell him together. Oh, how I loved that word – together...

Dad was watching football (what a surprise) in the living room when I walked in. "Hey, kiddo, how was the concert?" he asked me.

"It was great. He's an amazing performer." I told him, smiling.

"Where is he now?" Burt asked, looking at the door as if Blaine was about to walk through behind me.

"Um, he had to go back to New York today. Something urgent came up." I said vaguely, and headed towards my room, cutting our conversation short. I didn't want to tell Dad til Blaine got back, but I also didn't want to lie to him.

About half an hour into my laying-on-my-bed-listening-to-Blaine's-music phase, a thought came to my head. "Oh, shit..." I sat up as I thought this through.

We never exchanged numbers...I had no way to contact Blaine. I didn't have an email address, phone number, even his address in New York. All I had was his name, and he was a celebrity. Even if I tried to contact him by fan mail, I'd probably be dismissed as a crazy, delusional, nut ball fan. Actually, come to think of it, Blaine didn't have my number either (unless he'd found out my number while he had my phone, but that was unlikely). I also didn't have Facebook or Twitter, or any of those online accounts, as I didn't want to give anyone the chance to bully me online. They did that enough to my face. Wait, he knew my address...

I hung onto that last thread of hope. He knew my address...he could always find me. I'd just have to wait, but Blaine would come for me. He had to...

_Blaine's POV_

Come to think of it, of course Cooper would get shot. That's just who he was. Boisterous, carefree, and completely into taking risks. This time, the risk wasn't bungee jumping or mountain climbing, it was surprising the burglar robbing his apartment. Can you spell idiot? I spell it C-o-o-p-e-r. So here I am, sitting next to Wes on a plane to New York instead hanging with my new boyfriend. Kurt...how had I gotten so lucky? After I'd made sure Cooper was alright, and settled him down, I couldn't wait to text Kurt...

…..On his phone, which I didn't have the number to...

….Oh, shit...

Had we exchanged numbers? I wracked my brain, trying to find anyway I had to contact him. He had to have a Facebook, right? Who didn't? And I had his address, so I could always find him once Cooper was okay. Okay, everything would be fine...everything would be fine.

Once I was off the plane and could use my phone, I opened up Facebook, typing in Kurt's name. I went through about 21 results, but none of them were my Kurt. Why wasn't I finding him? Okay, so maybe he didn't have Facebook for some reason, but at least I still had his address, right? Once Cooper was well enough for me to leave, I'd go and see my boyfriend. Hopefully, he'd understand why I had been out of contact. Hopefully...

When I got to the hospital, I was taken directly to Cooper. He looked terrible. Generally, he was a happy-go-lucky sort of guy, a favorite among his students, but now he was pale, his eyes closed, with wires and tubes attached to his arms and neck. This wasn't the brother I knew, the one who protected me from my dad's rage when I came out, the brother who helped me start my music career. This wasn't the brother who protected me – this was a brother who needed protecting himself. Steeling myself, I resigned myself to sticking around New York for a while.

Kurt would wait for me, I know he would...

_Kurt's POV_

When one week went by without hearing from Blaine, I wasn't fazed. He needed time with his brother, I could understand that. Two weeks, yeah, gunshot wounds don't heal themselves. Three weeks, still understandable, but resolve starting to shake. A month, where was he? Surely Cooper was okay by now, and could stay by himself for even a day or two.

Maybe my fault was that I didn't search the internet for news. That felt too stalkerish, especially as I knew Blaine. Looking him up behind his back seemed just weird.

A month and a half after the concert, Burt and Carole surprised me and Finn at school. Dad had proposed, Carole had said yes, and they were getting married. As happy as I was for Dad, I was sad, as this reminded me of Blaine – the boyfriend who I hadn't heard from in over a month. Thankfully, dad gave me two weeks to plan the wedding, which helped distract me from Blaine.

After the wedding, we got a new house that could accommodate all four of us (basically, a house where Finn and I didn't have to share a room). Finn and I were fairly close by this point, and I was happy he would now legally be my brother. He was also the only one I told about Blaine and our relationship status. He told me he was happy for me, but if Blaine turned out to be a fake, that he would be there with ice cream (see how nice he'd gotten?!). He was also the only one to understand the long, last longing look I cast at the house I'd grown up with. Dad thought I'd miss all my memories, and while that was part of it, it wasn't the whole truth. That house, that address, had been the last tie I had to Blaine, and now even that was gone.

As I walked into my new house, I felt a wave of sadness wash over me. Goodbye, Blaine...hello, reality...

_Blaine's POV_

Taking care of Cooper took longer than I'd ever expected. Being the picky and independent person he was, Cooper didn't want anyone other than me to help him do anything, not allowing me to leave, even for a day.

Wes also kept me busy – pushing me to write a new album. That at least allowed me to work from home most of the time, able to keep an eye on Cooper.

By the time Cooper had his sling removed and could function like a normal human being again (the bullet had gone through his shoulder...not good), two months had gone by. I was seriously starting to worry about Kurt, and made plans to travel to Lima.

Unfortunately, disaster struck, and I got pneumonia. The doctor instructed me to rest and stay inside until it passed. I obeyed his orders, not wanting this to damage my voice, and to fade quickly. Even so, it took two more weeks before I was fit to travel.

To prepare, I looked up Kurt's address and found it's phone number. That was weird, as when I'd checked a week after leaving Ohio, it had been listed as private. Dialing the home phone, I waited nervously as it rang.

"Hello?" a male voice answered. Huh. It didn't sound like Burt, but maybe Finn's voice sounded weird over the phone.

"Hi. Is this Finn?" I asked politely.

"Finn who?" the guy asked, confused.

"Who is this? Does Kurt live here?" I asked, starting to freak out.

There was a pause, then, "Listen, kiddo, I don't know who you are, or who you're talking about. My wife and I just moved in here a few weeks ago."

"Do you know what happened to the family who owned the house before you?" I asked, grasping onto threads.

"Nope, sorry, kid. I wish I could help you, but I can't." the guy told me regretfully.

"Thank you." I said woodenly, and hung up.

Kurt was gone. He had moved, he could be anywhere, and now I had no way to contact him.

I missed my boyfriend...

**A/N: Sorry, guys, there had to be some complications somewhere... :) Otherwise it would've ended after the first page or two of this chapter...there is still more to come, though! Reviews might speed up that process...call it a Christmas gift for the Jewish girl! :)**


	5. Chapter 5 -- College Teacher

**A/N: Hi guys! Sorry for the delay – I wasn't near a computer all of today! But here's the chapter now, and I hope you enjoy it! Hopefully, I'll be able to update tomorrow, but if not, here's your Christmas/late-Hannukka/whatever-holiday-you-celebrate gift! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee...**

Chapter 5 – College Teacher

_Kurt's POV_

It had been over a year since I'd met Blaine Anderson. I didn't know whether this was for lack of trying, or lack of connection, but either way, I'd lost the only boyfriend I'd probably ever have. Who else would want some gay-faced boy like me?

Rachel and I had both auditioned for NYADA, but while she had gotten in, I hadn't. Not letting this overly-bother me, I applied to a fashion college, Parsons, and had gotten in (even getting a scholarship!). Rachel and I were living in our cute little apartment, happy to have each other in this big city.

The only negative in living with Rachel was Brody. Brody himself was nice, sweet, generous, hard working, hot (I could go on...), but they were in a _committed relationship_. They'd been dating for almost 10 months now, and had met on the same night Blaine and I had. Every time I remembered that, I felt a little sick to my stomach, but had to grin and bear it. Unfortunately, whenever we all went out with friends, they just _had_ to tell that story, and I'd have to excuse myself. Somehow, they had yet to make that connection...

Brody had also gotten into NYADA, and he and Rachel were inseparable. Thankfully, he was living in a dorm – I wouldn't be able to deal with him if he lived with us.

Even though I loved my fashion, I did miss singing and dancing. However, I soon found a solution in an unexpected friend. One day after I had gotten out of my morning class, I had gone over to NYADA to meet Rachel. We often hooked up after classes to go out for coffee, sheet music, or shopping (I was slowly teaching her about the wide world of fashion).

Anyway, when I had gotten there, Rachel was arguing with her (extremely attractive, but still not-as-hot-as Blaine) dance instructor over a move in front of the whole class. Watching from the open door, I had been surprised when the teacher had noticed me and beckoned me in.

"Hi, who are you?" he had asked.

Glancing quickly at Rachel, I answered, "I'm Kurt, Rachel's friend."

"Cooper, her teacher." he shook my hand firmly, then gestured at Rachel. "So, could you weigh in on our discussion?" he asked.

"And what would that discussion be about?" I inquired, glancing from Rachel, to Cooper, to the amused class.

"Gracefulness. Miss Berry here believes if you high-kick here and spin here," Cooper executed the moves perfectly, "it looks more graceful, while I believe she should stick to the original choreography."

"How does the original choreography look?" I asked, and Cooper nodded.

"Something like," he did a few other moves, then did a complex spin, then a high kick, "this." he finished.

Studying Cooper's moves and mapping Rachel's in my head, I nodded. "I have to agree with Rach on this. Oh, and keep your elbows in a little more on the spin. You might also want to work on your splits..."

Slightly miffed, Cooper asked, "Do you even dance, Kurt?"

I nodded slowly, unsure of where this was going. Cooper gestured at the dance floor. "Why don't you prove your point, then?"

Ah, poor guy, he probably thought I could do a couple turns or something. Smirking, I handed my messenger bag to Rachel, who accepted it, grinning. Luckily for me, I was in skinny jeans, flat converses, a tight black shirt, and a blue jacket. Shrugging off my jacket, I handed it to Brody, who, though he took it willingly, looked confused. It was understandable – he had never seen me dance with Rachel before.

I strode to the middle of the dance floor. "Okay, so if you do the spin first, then the high kick, then you stand a great chance of messing up the kick, as you could become unbalanced." I said. Doing a tight spin, I finished the spin neatly, merging nicely into a high kick. Cooper looked pleasantly surprised.

"However, if you do the kick first, then the spin, then you can take the extra power from the kick and put it into the spin." I continued. Doing a high kick (yeah, everyone in the class was fairly surprised), I went straight into a tight, fast spin. I finished neatly, and the class clapped for me.

"Well then." Cooper smiled. "I guess we'll just have to change the choreography. Class dismissed." he announced, and the rest of the students headed out. Brody handed me my jacket back, and I took my bag from Rach.

As I started to head out, Cooper called, "Actually, Rachel, could I borrow Kurt for a minute?"

Surprised, Rachel nodded. "Okay. We'll meet you outside, Kurt." She grinned at Cooper. "That means people will notice if he goes missing!"

Cooper laughed, shaking his head, and beckoned her off.

I nodded, then turned nervously towards Cooper. "I'm very sorry if I showed any disrespect—" I started, but he waved that aside.

"Not at all. If you can back up your claim, you're golden. Did you audition for NYADA?" he asked me bluntly.

I nodded slowly. "Yes, I did, but I was turned down."

Cooper nodded slowly. "Well, that's silly. You're just as, if not more, talented than every other dancer in that class. Do you sing?"

"Countertenor." I answered, and he whistled appreciatively.

"Nice. So, despite the administration being incredibly stupid, do you still want to attend NYADA?" he asked me curiously.

After thinking it through, I shook my head ruefully. "No, not as much now. I'm majoring in fashion at Parsons, and I'm happy there. I mean, I do miss singing and dancing, but I do love my fashion."

"So I can tell." Cooper smiled, then grew serious. "What do you say about this? I'd hate for someone with such an ability as yours to let it go to waste, so what if I gave you private lessons? Completely free, of course." he added.

"Thank you, but why?" I asked bluntly, surprised.

"Like I said, you have an amazing ability, and I think we could teach each other a lot." Cooper informed me.

"Okay." I agreed immediately.

"When are you open to dance?" Cooper asked, pulling out his phone.

Biting my lower lip slightly, I thought for a second. "After all of Rachel's classes, anytime on Fridays, and most nights."

Nodding, Cooper typed something into his phone. "Okay, so why don't we exchange numbers, and plan on after Rachel's lessons and anytime on Saturdays? It might change week by week, depending what's going on here."

"That sounds great. Here," I typed my number into his phone, then handed it back to him, "you go."

"Perfect, Mister Kurt," his brows creased, "Hummel. Huh, that name sounds familiar...is it from anything?"

"The Sound of Music?" I suggested, and his face cleared.

"Yeah, that must be it. Plenty of Kurts in the world. Well, then, I will see you next week?"

"See you next week!" I responded, then headed out.

From that point on, Cooper and I met two to three times a week for dance lessons. He also assured me that if I was ever free whenever Rachel had her class, I could join in. I loved dancing with Cooper, not because I was interested in him or anything (he was straight, and I'll admit it, I still held a candle for Blaine), but it was a way to learn, de-stress, and have fun all at once. It also kept me in amazing shape, which I appreciated.

We got to know each other fairly well, Cooper and I. He knew about my past with bullying, my family, my dad's heart attack sophomore year, practically everything. The only thing I never told him about was Blaine. That was private, and besides, he wouldn't believe me. He did know that I didn't like Blaine's music (it just depressed me now), as one of Blaine's songs once came on while we were dancing, and I stopped. When Cooper asked, I lied, saying I'd just listened to it too many times. He had reluctantly agreed to change the song.

The only time he got close to my secret was, after a good lesson, sat next to me while I was stretching. "Soooo, Kurt, do you have a boyfriend?" he asked, smiling.

Mutely, I shook my head, and continued to stretch. "Bad break up?" he asked sympathetically.

"The worse." I answered, not wanting to get uptight about this, but still unwilling to tell him the specifics about Blaine.

Still, Cooper prodded on. "Did he cheat on you?"

Startled, I looked at him. "Do the words 'personal boundaries' mean anything to you?"

He grinned. "Nope. Just finding that out?"

"Apparently." I grumbled.

His tone shifted from mischievous to sincere. "Hey, I'll stop if you really want me to, but I just want you to know...I'm here if you ever need someone to talk to."

"Thanks, Cooper. That means a lot to me, really. But I don't really talk about it. You wouldn't believe me." I informed him.

He spread his arms wide. "Try me!"

I shook my head again. "To make a long story short, I met the guy, started dating him, he left me for some reason, and I never heard from him again."

"Aw, shucks." Cooper shook his head regretfully. "That truly sucks. I'm sorry. I know people who've had that happen to them. Well, plenty of fish in the sea here."

"You know, sometimes I wonder about you." I shook my head at him, smiling now.

"Hey!" he punched me lightly on my shoulder. "I'm completely straight. Ask Katie!"

Quirking an eyebrow at him, I clarified, "Your girlfriend?"

"Nope, my ex, but she'd tell you I'm straight." Cooper informed me cheerfully.

"Well, don't worry, Cooper, there're plenty of fish in the sea. And I don't want to talk to your ex about whether you're straight." I grinned.

"Your loss." Cooper smiled, and got up to stretch using the bar.

In return for telling him about me, I knew about his terrible parents, how he'd always wanted to be a performer, all his girlfriends, and how he had a younger brother who was also a great singer.

Cooper's last name was Anderson too, but I reminded myself daily that Anderson was a common name.

A few weeks into dance lessons, Cooper convinced me to sing for him. He had been awed by my voice (that was good for my ego), and demanded to add music to our routines. Our voices sounded good together, and we'd often sing duets while dancing. I noticed my tone improving, as well as my ability to sing and dance at the same time.

Life was good. All I was missing was someone for me to love.

_Blaine's POV_

Life without Kurt was no fun. Admittedly, I didn't know what life with Kurt would be like, but I missed him every day. No other man looked beautiful enough, no other smart man smart enough, no other man kind enough. I guess once I'd discovered perfection, I'd never be able to go back. I wasn't interested in any other man (despite how much Cooper urged me to try dating again). I had long ago (7 months ago, actually) discovered I was in love with Kurt, though no matter how hard I looked for him, I couldn't find him. It had come on gradually, loving Kurt, slowly creeping up on me until I couldn't deny it any longer. Just my luck – in love with someone I'd never have. The only upside to my heartbreak was that it made for good song material. I hoped that maybe, Kurt would hear my songs, and find me. No, he probably thought I'd given up on him. Now that was a depressing thought.

Friday night, I got up from my leftover Chinese dinner in front of my TV to find Cooper at my door. "Go away." I muttered, wanting to feel depressing and lazy.

"Well, that's rude." Cooper told me cheerfully, stepping past me into my apartment.

"What do you want, Cooper?" I grumbled, picking at my pajama bottoms and large t-shirt.

He fixed those piercing blue eyes of his on me. "What I want is for my little brother to live a little. You've been cooping yourself up in here for months. You barely do anything but work, write, sing, eat, and sleep. You missed Wes' birthday party last month, and you've been playing Adele for the past year."

"So?" I asked defensively. "What if I don't want to go to a club and get drunk. Kurt'll still be gone."

"Well, not tonight. Tonight, we're going out to eat. There's a new Indian place, Passage to India, that I want to try out, and I'm taking you. Free food. Now get changed." he pushed me towards my room.

"What if I don't want Indian food today?" I asked, though really, when didn't I want Indian food?

Cooper just looked at me and snorted. "Go change, Blaine."

Finally, I trudged into my room. I pulled on a pair of black dress pants, a collared shirt, and a cardigan to go over it. Checking my hair, I saw it was still all gelled down – perfect. Coming out, Cooper sighed happily. "Finally. Let's go."

Half an hour later saw me sitting in Passage to India, listening to Cooper ramble on and on about his life. He was talking about something, or someone. Oh yeah, that student's friend who he was giving dancing lessons too. "You know, he's a Kurt too." Cooper thought for a second.

"Yeah, there are too many Kurts in the world. Only one matters, and he's gone." I said sourly.

"Okay, fine, be a spoilsport." Cooper told me, miffed. This didn't last long, though, and not two minutes later, he was describing some choreography he and this Kurt had put together. Whoop-de-freaking-doo. Who cared about Cooper's Kurt? He was just some random guy Cooper could dance with...I wanted _my_ Kurt back.

However, once I let myself relax and have a good time, I actually started enjoying the company. I opened up a little, and I could see that Cooper appreciated it.

Soon, these dinners became into a weekly tradition we had, where we found a new ethnic place every Friday night.

About a month into our tradition, Cooper had a friends' birthday party he had to attend on a Friday night, so we switched it to Saturday for lunch. "Just come to NYADA at 12:30 on Saturday. We can head back to my apartment, I can shower while you putter around, then we'll go out, okay?" he told me over the phone.

"Sure. You'll be in the dance studio?" I checked, and he nodded.

"Yup, I'll be getting off my lesson with Kurt."

"Okay then. I'll see you then." I told him, then hung up.

_Kurt's POV_

On this particular dance lesson, I wore thick, tight, black leggings, a tight shirt, and my ballet shoes (yes, I owned ballet shoes – deal with it). Cooper was wearing black pants, his well-worn dance shoes, and a tank top. We did our normal routine of warming up, practicing specific moves, then moving on to dancing along to/with the music. With about ten minutes to go in our lesson, Cooper requested to cool down early.

"My brother's coming by at 12:30. We're going to lunch." he explained.

Pulling on converses and a long coat, I nodded. "Okay, that's fine. Where are you heading?"

He shrugged. "Some ethnic place...I think we're going for Vietnamese today."

I nodded, impressed. "Nice. Vietnamese is pretty good. Have fun with that."

He laughed. "Yeah. First, I have to shower, though. God, I'm sweating so much right now..." he took shoulder of his tank top and wiped his face. My eyes caught on a circular scar on his shoulder. Huh, it almost looked like...like a gunshot wound.

All of a sudden, all the clues fell into place. Anderson, gunshot wound, younger brother in New York, a good singer, his sadness at my not liking Blaine's song...this was Blaine's brother...oh lord.

Almost against my will, I surged forward to point at his shoulder. "What?" Cooper asked, confused.

Mutely, I pushed his shirt away, touching the scar awkwardly. "Oh yeah, I was shot last year. Cool, huh? There was this—" he started, not really minding that a gay guy was touching his skin.

"There was a burglar who broke into your house. You caught him, and he shot you. You were put in the hospitable, and your brother was called to help you." I automatically filled in, cutting Cooper off.

He gave me a confused look. "Um...yeah. How'd you know? You're not some sort of stalker, are you? Cause that's just creepy..."

That moment, I heard _his_ voice coming through the door. "Hey, Cooper, are you in here? I'm a little early, so—" Blaine walked through the door, freezing when he saw me.

"Kurt?" he breathed, and I felt my stomach clench. He didn't look angry, or mad, or unhappy to see me – quite the opposite, actually.

"Blaine?" I asked, dumbfounded.

He took a step towards me, reaching out as I stepped backwards, not willing to touch him yet. I still wasn't sure if he was real, or a hallucination my brain had raised to haunt me.

Looking to Cooper, yes, Cooper I knew, he was real, I pointed numbly at Blaine. "This is your brother?"

Baffled, Cooper nodded. "Yeah, Blaine, my little brother. Why? How do you guys know each other?"

"This is Kurt, Cooper! MY Kurt, the one I couldn't find." Blaine explained quickly, then turned to me. "You moved. You weren't on Facebook, or anything like that." He ducked him head quietly, then added softly, "I looked for you."

Still paralyzed, I explained briefly, "I didn't want another place where I could get bullied."

"But you moved..." Blaine trailed off, looking to me for an explanation.

"Dad and Carole, they got married. We needed a house that'd fit all of us." I informed him.

As I'd been explaining, Blaine had been inching closer to me, and now I found him straight in front of me. Dazed, I blinked at him, his face less than a foot away from mine. Lifting up a hand, I laid it on his cheek, reveling in the smoothness of his skin, the way he seemed to lean into my hand.

I could feel him. This was real. This wasn't some hallucination I'd dreamed up to deal with my disappointment.

That thought crossed my mind one second, and I fainted, everything going black.

**A/N: There you guys go, I hope you liked the chapter! (sorry for the cliffhanger...I'm just a little evil sometimes!) Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate it! A review would be a great late-Hannukka gift for me... ;)**


	6. Chapter 6 -- Reunion

**A/N: Merry Christmas to you guys, and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee...**

Chapter 6 – Reunion

_Blaine's POV_

Friday night came and left uneventfully. Wes and David had plans to go out for dinner and a movie (no, they weren't dating as far as I knew, but Friday was their bromance anniversary), so I just stayed in, watching movies. No matter what anyone told me, you simply can't watch The Lion King or Mulan too many times...

On Saturday morning, I got up, ate a very small breakfast, and got ready for my lunch with Cooper. I decided to walk to NYADA, so I started out about forty-five minutes early. However, it only took me about forty, so as I walked into the studio, I called out, "Hey, Cooper, are you in here? I'm a little early, so—"

I stopped suddenly, my eyes falling on the boy next to Cooper. He looked good, my brain noticed in the back of my head, slightly flushed, in black leggings, a tight shirt, and ballet shoes. Wait, what the heck was Kurt doing here? He lived in Ohio, in some unspecified location now. But, here he was, standing there looking absolutely divine in front of me while I stared at him in amazement. So, this meant that Cooper's Kurt was my Kurt...

"Kurt?" I asked, astonished.

He stared at me, looking absolutely frozen. "Blaine." he made my name half a question. Did he not want to see me? Did he hate me now? Had he tried unsuccessfully to find me too?

I took a small step towards him, reaching out to touch him, to hold his hand, just to make sure he was real. He stepped away, and I paused, hurt.

"This is your brother?" Kurt turned to ask Cooper.

Cooper looked at me in confusion. "Yeah, Blaine, my little brother. Why? How do you two know each other?" he asked, and I wanted to laugh at the irony. How oblivious was Cooper?

"This is Kurt, Cooper! MY Kurt, the one I couldn't find." I stressed to Cooper, then turned back to the boy I'd been looking for for a year now. "You moved. You weren't on Facebook, or anything like that."

I ducked my head, not wanting to sound accusing or overly hurt. No, I didn't want to scare him away. Quietly, I added, "I looked for you."

Kurt still looked thrown, but responded, "I didn't want another place where I could be bullied."

Oh, that is why he didn't get Facebook or any of those online sites...how could I not have figured that out? "But you moved..." I reminded him.

"Dad and Carole, they got married. We needed a house that'd fit all of us." Kurt told me, and I nodded, inching closer. That would make sense. Good for Burt, he was a great guy...who probably hated me right now for leaving Kurt hanging. Maybe he'd understand...?

By this point, I found myself directly in front of Kurt. He blinked slowly, breathing out inaudibly, and I could feel his warm breath on my face. He put his hand on my cheek and I leaned into it slightly, loving the feeling of his smooth hand on my skin. One second we were staring into each other's eyes, then he collapsed. Quickly, I caught him so he didn't fall to the floor. I laid him on the ground gently, Cooper crouching next to me.

"Is he okay?" I asked Cooper desperately. He was the one who knew Kurt's physicality better at this point.

Putting his hand on Kurt's forehead, Cooper nodded. "Yeah. Just shock, probably." he looked over at me. "I can see why you sulked for months now. He's something special, Kurt is."

I nodded jerkily. "He is. A-are we supposed to do something to help him? Give him juice or something? A pillow?" I looked desperately around the studio for something, and Cooper chuckled.

"He'll be fine, Blaine. Just, give him a minute or two, and he'll be awake and making out with you in no time."

Blushing, I shook my head. "No, we haven't, I mean—"

"Wait, what?" Cooper interrupted me, confused. "You've never made out with him or something? Have you at least kissed him?"

Slowly, I shook my head, still blushing. "So, not only have you been mooning over some dreamy high schooler for the past year, but you've been mooning over some dreamy high schooler you never even kissed?" Cooper demanded, incredulous.

I shook my head. "He's in college now." I made up, and Cooper shook his head playfully.

"I swear, I call being best man in 5 years." he winked at me, and I spluttered.

Thankfully, I was saved by Kurt waking up, opening up his eyes and starting.

"Hi, hon." I stroked his hair, smiling down at him.

Sitting up, Kurt looked from me to Cooper, then around the studio. "Not a dream." he stated.

"Nope!" Cooper said cheerfully.

Standing up awkwardly (Cooper and I stood with him, and Cooper held onto Kurt's arm), he glanced between us. "Umm, well, I should let you guys go...um, get Vietnamese now..." he trailed off awkwardly.

My heart was crushed – Kurt wanted me to leave, but Cooper saved the day. Laughing, he said, "Are you kidding me? No, I'm going home to shower and order pizza, and you two are going out to eat or whatever while you figure your thing," he gestured at the two of us, "out. Have a good time! Blaine, I don't expect to hear from you until at least midnight, and Kurt, I know you don't have any classes or projects today, so no making excuses. Go have fun!" he ushered us out of the studio, shutting the door behind us.

Looking at the door, I turned to Kurt. "Lunch?" I asked him, and he smiled, brightening my heart.

"I'd like that."

"What do you want?" I asked, starting to walk out of NYADA.

"I don't know...you tell me." Kurt replied, smiling slightly.

Remembering a place Cooper and I had tried two weeks ago, I gave Kurt a special smile. "There's a cute Japanese place a few blocks away."

Kurt's smile widened, and I knew I'd spoken right. "That sounds amazing."

We started walking towards the place, not saying a word. I didn't know _what_ to say. I had missed him so much, I hadn't ever thought what I'd do if I found Kurt again, not wanting to get my hopes up. After a block, I took his hand in mine. He started, surprised, but didn't pull away to my relief. I loved the feeling of his hand in mine, of that connection between us. As we walked hand in hand, I kept stealing glances at him, marveling at his beauty.

When we were a block from the restaurant, Kurt suddenly blushed. "Oh, I might need to change..." he looked down at what he was wearing: converses, a tight shirt, leggings, and a long coat.

"Oh. You could be fine..." I trailed off, shrugging. I kinda liked Kurt in leggings...he had such amazing, long, drool-worthy legs...

Kurt shot me an amused smile. "Blaine, I'm wearing a coat, leggings, and shoes. I need real clothes."

"Oookay, do you have clothes with you, or where do you live? We could get a taxi or something..." I trailed off.

Nodding, Kurt informed me, "My apartment's about 10 blocks away. Could we stop by there first so I can change. Then we can go for lunch..."

Giving him a sunny smile, I nodded. "That works. Lead on, then."

This time, it was Kurt who initiated our hand-holding, making me smile softly at him. He blushed and ducked his head.

After a minute, I couldn't resist asking the question that'd been bothering me. "So, um, how have you been? Do you have any, um, new...friends?"

Kurt, being the smart guy he is, saw through my question easily. "Nope, no boyfriend. You?" he shot the question back at me.

I nodded ruefully, watching as his face fell. "Oh, um, do I know him?" he asked, withdrawing his hand from mine.

Smiling, I replied, "Oh, a few times, I'm sure. You see, he's this awesome dancer who has a tendency to faint when surprised, and is impossible to reach at some points."

Shyly smiling at me, Kurt reclaimed my hand. "He sounds like a very nice guy."

"Oh, he is. He most definitely is..." I winked at him.

"So, what happened with him?" Kurt hedged, casting a sideways glance my way.

After a moment of consideration, I informed him, "Well, I lost touch of him for a little while, but when we got back together, we were inseparable. We dated for a little while, then lived happily ever after."

"Nice life. He's lucky to have you." Kurt commented.

"I'm more lucky to have him." I looked Kurt in his eye.

He smiled gently at me, then stopped suddenly. "Here's my building. Um, do you want to come up?" he asked nervously.

"Sure." I nodded, and we started up to his apartment.

There was an awkward silence as we stood in the elevator, music playing softly through the speakers. When we stepped out, Kurt led me to his door. Opening it, he called out, "Hey, Rachel, you in here?"

A male voice called back, "Yeah, she's in the bathroom."

Kurt grimaced slightly. "Okay, so you get to meet both my roommate, Rachel, and her boyfriend, Brody."

"Oh, okay." I cleared my throat nervously. Well, here goes the best friend test.

"Yeah, Kurt, you called?" a female voice echoed, and a short brunette walked into the room, then froze when she saw me.

She looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place where I'd seen her...oh, wait, of course. She was the girl in that picture of Kurt that had been on his phone. How I still could remember it, I don't know, but that meant Rachel was the one who had initially dragged Kurt to my concert.

"Omigod, you're Blaine Anderson!" she enthused, and Kurt chuckled.

"Yeah, I think he already knows that, honey."

"What's going on?" the previous male voice asked and a young, slightly-arrogant-looking man walked into the room.

"Hey, how do you two know each other?" Brody asked, and I gestured to Kurt.

"Um, we stumbled into each other outside of NYADA just now. We had previously met at one of his concerts, though." Kurt quickly told Rachel, and I nodded. It technically was the truth – no need to get into details like how much I pined for a way to contact him, how many of my heartbroken songs were about him, how my feelings of him had developed into love over the year...yeah, no need for fine details...

"Well, it's an honor to officially meet you, Blaine." Rachel said formally, and I laughed.

"It's great to meet you too, Rachel, and you, Brody." I shook hands with Brody, who gave me a short nod.

"So, Kurt, are you guys staying at the apartment now? Oh, and how was your lesson with Cooper?" Rachel turned to Kurt.

Glancing at me, Kurt answered, "It was great. And no, I'm just going to shower and change, then we're going out to lunch."

"Cool. Well, Brody and I are going out to dinner with his parents later, so we figured we'd chill here until they arrive." Rachel informed Kurt.

"How late are you guys going to be tonight?" Kurt asked, taking off his jacket and his shoes. As he bent and stretched in front of me, I tried not to stare. Gentleman thoughts, Blaine, be dapper...

Rachel glanced at Brody, who answered, "Well, my parents are going to be tired from traveling, so we figured after settling them in my apartment and an early dinner, we'd go out for karaoke with Sarah, Ethan, and Jackie. You're invited too, of course." he added.

"I think I'll pass this time. Ethan and Sarah are fighting, and I don't need the extra drama." Kurt decided, and I smiled. More time for Kurt to spend with me... "So basically, the subtext of all of this is that you're staying overnight here?" Kurt asked dryly.

"Yup." Brody nodded cheerfully, and Kurt sighed.

"Got it. Blaine, you can do whatever, it'll only take me a couple minutes to shower." he directed this last bit to me, then stepped into the bathroom.

Awkwardly, I turned towards where Rachel and Brody were looking at me expectantly. "Can I, umm, sit down?" I asked, gesturing at the living room.

"Oh yeah, sure." Rachel waved her hand, and settled down the couch with Brody while I grabbed an armchair. "So, seeing as Kurt's brother, Finn, isn't here, I guess I'll take his role. What are your intentions towards Kurt?" she demanded, suddenly scary.

"What?" I asked, confused by the intro.

Rachel smirked. "You may be a celebrity I currently worship, but friendship does come first. I want to know what your intentions are towards my Kurt."

Oh great, the protective best friend/brother routine...just what my self-confidence needed...

"I only have the best intentions towards Kurt." I replied, and Brody snorted.

"Not exactly. I mean, you obviously have the hots for him – what gay guy wouldn't? What Rachel's really asking is if you'll treat him right. Oh, and if you guys are already dating." he clarified.

"I knew there was a reason I kept you around." Rachel smiled at her boyfriend, who preened.

Blushing, I ducked my head slightly. "No, we're not dating already, not technically, I guess. And yeah, I do like him, but I hope he likes me too."

Looking slightly worried, Rachel pondered, "Well, he hasn't mentioned anything, and there was that guy last year, but other than that, nothing else is in your way?"

Intrigued, I questioned, "Wait, what guy last year?"

"I actually don't know much. All I can say is that last year, Kurt was really down, so we all decided there must have been some guy. Don't worry, though, it's been a year, so I'm sure he's ready to date again." Rachel explained.

Smiling, I realized she must be talking about me. So Kurt had missed me too? The thought of Kurt wishing to see me warmed my heart, and I grinned.

"Huh. Generally, people don't smile when they hear about their crush's ex..." Brody noticed.

"Water under the bridge, over the bridge, however that phrase goes." I shrugged.

Rachel studied me closely for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, I might have an idea of what's going on, but I think I'll let you and Kurt tell me."

"Tell you what?" Kurt asked, coming out of the bathroom, towel around his waist.

Eyes caught on his smooth, defined muscles behind pale, beautiful skin, I could only stare. Surprisingly, Rachel was no better than I was.

"Umm..." she trailed off as she looked at Kurt.

Realizing I was acting like a creep, I averted my eyes, blushing, and avoiding Kurt's smirk.

"Really, Rach?" Brody asked, thankfully more amused than annoyed.

"He is really good looking." Rachel pointed out, and Kurt preened as I chuckled.

"Fine, but only because he's gay. No ogling straight guys." Brody ordered, and Rachel smiled up at him.

"Promise." Rachel swore, and Brody smiled.

"Don't worry, I know I'm fabulous." Kurt joked, then turned to me. "So, what are we telling them?"

Clearing my throat awkwardly, I put my 'dapper' mindset back on. "They were talking about your ex, you know, that guy from a year ago, and they were wondering why I didn't get madly jealous." I explained, and Kurt's face smoothed instantly.

"Oh yeah, that guy. Well, way to be probing and nosy, guys! Kidding," he assured them when Rachel opened her mouth in protest, "I'm just kidding. That's actually a very long story much better suited for after Blaine and I have gone on about 6 dates. Kay?"

Rachel rolled her eyes, but nodded. "Okay, fine, but don't think I won't pester you about this until then! And uh, Kurt?"

"Yeah?" he cocked his head to the side, and my eyes were drawn to the smooth skin of his neck, so inviting...

"You might want to put some clothes on. That is, if you're still going out..." Rachel trailed off delicately, and Kurt flushed. His neck and chest reddened when he blushed, I noticed with interest.

"Y-yeah, just give me a second. Sorry, Blaine. You're probably very hungry." Kurt apologized.

Rachel and Brody looked at each other and burst out laughing, and Brody had to hold Rachel in place so she didn't fall down.

Kurt snapped at them, "Guys, mind out of gutter! There's the gutter, get your minds out of it!"

"It's fine, don't worry." I waved Kurt towards his bedroom.

"I apologize for my friends." Kurt smiled, then closed the door into his room.

Turning around, Rachel and Brody wore identical looks of innocence. "Really not helping." I muttered, then disciplined myself. Okay, they may be making everything we say into something provocative, but they're still Kurt's friends, which means I need them to like me.

"He did bring that upon himself." Brody pointed out, and Rachel waved us off.

"Okay, Blaine, you have passed the friend test. You are officially allowed to date my best gay now. However," Rachel wagged, _actually wagged_, her finger at me, "if you hurt him, I will kill you slowly and painfully. That being said, I claim all rights to sing at your wedding."

"Do you ever breathe?" I asked her in amazement.

Smiling, Rachel informed me, "Breathing's overrated and boring. Now, can I have your autograph?"

"Sure, do you have a piece of paper for me to sign, or...?" I trailed off, looking to Rachel for guidance.

She giggled. "Did you miss the whole 'I'm your biggest fan ever' bit? Please, I have your poster."

Taking my hand, she led me into her room, where she pointed at a large poster of me singing at a concert hanging next to her vanity. Handing me a gold sharpie, Rachel settled on her bed. "Maybe Kurt will like the poster now."

Writing _I can't wait to see you on Broadway! Reach for the stars, Rachel. Love, Blaine Anderson_, I turned towards her. "Kurt doesn't like the poster?"

Realizing her mistake, Rachel tried to cover it up. "I mean, he didn't not like it or anything, I was just so obsessed with you that he got annoyed and demanded that I keep all my posters in my room."

Nodding my head slowly, I decided that I'd ask Kurt about it later. I already knew he only went to my concert for his friend, Rachel, actually, and by his perspective, I had left him. Yeah, hating me was forgivable...I was just happy he still liked me now knowing I had looked for him.

"Don't worry, whenever I start to sing outside the studios, my manager and best friend, Wes, tells me to shut up." I joked. Unfortunately, this was actually true, though I often would do this now just to annoy him...

"Such is fame." Rachel joked, and I followed her out of her bedroom. "Are you ready, Kurt?" she called, rapping on his door, which obligingly swung open.

"Yup. Don't get your panties in a bunch, Rach." Kurt said dryly as I gaped at him.

His black jeans looked painted on, and was paired with a long sweater whose bottom peeked out beneath the pea coat he was shrugging on. His hair was slightly messy, just begging to be tousled...

"Ready to go?" Kurt turned to me, and laughed slightly at my expression.

Shaking my head slightly to clear it, I replied, "Of course! Well, it was nice meeting you, Rachel, and you, Brody."

"Have a good time!" Brody and Rachel called as we walked out.

"Sorry for them." Kurt apologized as we exited his building.

Shrugging, I gave a little laugh. "It's no problem, really. They were very nice. Rachel, especially."

"Yeah. Brody just needs a little getting used to, then he's better. I'm really glad they met that night." Kurt reflected, his face clouding slightly.

After a moment of silence, he shrugged. "So, how are you?"

Laughing at the abrupt question, I answered honestly. "Still reeling from the friend examination, as well as the shock of seeing you. But it's a happy-reeling." I added on, and Kurt grinned.

"Same. Well, minus the friend examination. That's gonna wait til after our sixth date."

Heart leaping, I took Kurt's hand in mine. "And, uh, where will this sixth date take place?"

Playfully bumping my shoulder, Kurt answered, "I think our sixth date is going to be something more relaxed...since we'll want to wait on the answering-of-Rachel's-questions time, I propose your apartment, Chinese take-out, popcorn, and Rent."

"I like the way you think!" I enthused, bumping his shoulder back.

The rest of the walk to the restaurant was a blur of light teasing and flirting done, I happily noticed, by both of us.

Kurt was back. My boyfriend was back. All I needed to do now was keep him.

**A/N: There you go, guys! Back together at last! I hope you enjoy it! So, I was planning just to have a small epilogue chapter after this, but svallkille requested I extend it a little, so I think I might just do that! However, what with Christmas today, it might be a couple of days now until I update again...I hope that's okay! Anyway, have a lovely Christmas/late-Hannukka, and review!**


	7. Chapter 7 -- Friend Explanations

**A/N: Hi guys! How were your Christmases? Sorry there was a long delay, but as I mentioned before, I expanded (greatly) the epilogue, so now it's this chapter, then another one. I still have the original one (it's about a page long), so if I get enough reviews, I might also post that, just for fun! It's basically these last two chapters in speed mode! Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Somehow owning Glee was not one of my Hannukka presents...**

Chapter 7 – Friend Explanations

Exactly three weeks later, Rachel reminded us of our promise to tell them how we met. Kurt and I had spent the previous night in my apartment watching Disney movies and eating popcorn. He had fallen asleep in my arms around midnight, right before Flynn made his daring escape from jail. Marveling at the beauty, innocence, and youth capture in Kurt's sleeping face, I gently carried him into my room. Settling him down on my bed, I made to leave the room, but was stopped by a mumbled, "No...stay..."

Surprised, I glanced back to see Kurt blindly, still mostly asleep, reaching out to try to grab me. Gently, I climbed into my bed next to him, sighing as he curled himself into me. Within minutes, I was asleep, arms wrapped around Kurt's slumbering form. So much for sleeping on the couch...

The next morning, I made us omelets and brought him breakfast in bed. After a morning of cuddling and more Disney (and Kurt grumbling adorably about my lack of 'proper hair-care products'), I drove him back to his apartment. Inside, we found Rachel and Brody sitting in the living room, waiting for us.

"Hello?" I asked nervously, unsure as to what was going on. Hadn't I already gone through the friend-inquisition?

"Do you know what last night was?" Rachel asked, grinning mischievously.

"Friday night?" I hedged, but Kurt remembered.

"It was our sixth date, wasn't it?"

"That it was. Now spill, boys." Rachel ordered.

"Wait, what are we 'spilling', again?" I questioned my boyfriend. I vaguely remembered Kurt saying something about our sixth date once, but I couldn't remember what he'd said...

"Why you smiled when hearing about how I sulked over my ex last year." Kurt reminded me, grinning.

"Oh, yeah," I remembered, "should we just tell them how we met? I mean, that'd be easier." Quietly, I added, "Unless you still don't want them to know."

Kurt shrugged. "It's fine. Do you mind if I tell the story?"

Waving a hand, I invited him to speak, and, settling us both comfortable on a couch, Kurt started, "Do you guys remember the night you met?" Seeing Rachel open her mouth to talk, Kurt hurried on, "Nevermind, I know you guys do. Think back to that night, and tell me where I was throughout the concert."

Cocking his head to the side, Brody answered first, "Well, you stood in line with Rachel, which was where we all met. Then we all got into the stadium, and you went to your seats with us. I went to tell my friends I'd be sitting with you guys, and when I came back, you walked off, telling us not to look for you before the concert began. Then, right before the concert started, you texted Rachel saying you'd found somebody to take home, and that I should drive Rachel home, right?" Brody paused, looking for confirmation.

Casting me a relieved look, Kurt nodded. "Yeah, I was walking around, and I happened to run into Blaine, and he invited me backstage—"

"Kurt," Rachel broke into Kurt's hurried rambling, looking serious, "don't lie."

"I-I'm not." Kurt stuttered, and Rachel gave him a sad look.

"Kurt, I may be occasionally self-obsessed, but I'm not stupid. Now, tell us what really happened." she ordered Kurt gently.

Rubbing soothing circles into Kurt's back, I gave him a supportive nod, and he sighed. "Fine. When I was walking around the stadium, a group of guys surrounded me. They, umm, they b-beat me up, calling me a fag."

Rachel gave a little gasp, but Kurt forged on. "After a little while, they left me there, lying on the ground. I managed to get myself to the nearest, thankfully empty, bathroom. There, I texted you to go home with Brody."

"Why?" Rachel asked, transferring couches to sit next to Kurt.

"I didn't want you to see me like that...I didn't want to ruin your birthday present." Kurt's eyes glittered with unshed tears as he looked at Rachel, who was now crying herself.

Hugging my boyfriend securely to my chest, I took over the story as Rachel took Kurt's hand. "That was where I came in. I had a little stage fright, and ran to the nearest bathroom. There I found my angel, sitting there, accusing me of being bulimic. After a minute of talking to him, I could tell he'd been hurt. I carried him backstage, but then it was time for me to perform. By the time I'd finished the concert, Kurt was gone. All that was left was his cell phone, which he must've dropped. I called speed dial #2, and got Burt. He arranged for me to meet Kurt the next day at the Lima Bean. There, I invited him to come see the second concert that night, as he'd missed the first." Taking Kurt's other hand in my own, I nuzzled his hair with my nose. "Before the concert, I asked him to be my boyfriend, and he said yes."

"Wait, you two were boyfriends? Then why did you break up with him, just to get back together now?" Rachel demanded to know, instantly suspicious of me.

"The next morning, I got a call, saying that my brother had been shot, and I needed to come help him. Cooper had walked in on some burglar, gotten himself shot, and being Cooper, needed someone to look after him. I left for New York immediately, and only later realized I hadn't gotten his number. All I had his address, but his home number was listed as private. I took care of Cooper for a month or so, then came down with pneumonia myself. By the time I was able to go to Lima, Kurt had moved. The number wasn't private, but when I called, the man didn't know where the Hummel's had moved to...Kurt wasn't on any social networks, I never got his cell number, I didn't know where he lived...I'd lost him..." I trailed off, saddened by the thought of never seeing Kurt again.

"But wait, why didn't you try to contact Blaine, Kurt?" Brody asked, puzzled.

Shrugging, Kurt answered, "I didn't have his number, and I figured people wouldn't believe me if I wrote/emailed/called saying I was Blaine Anderson's boyfriend..."

Shaking her head at us, Rachel broke out laughing hysterically. "So, you're telling us that Kurt, you spent the past year mooning over some celebrity that you claimed to hate?"

Kurt and I glanced at each other, shrugged, then nodded. "Yup, that's about right."

"That's just priceless." she gasped between laughter.

"So, how did you two meet again?" Brody asked, curious.

"My brother." I explained briefly, and Rachel and Brody looked confused.

"You have a brother? Well, of course, stupid, he got shot. Wait, you said his name was Cooper..." Rachel trailed off, eyes wide.

"Yeah, that Cooper. I actually figured it out about two seconds before Blaine walked in." Kurt smirked, and I hugged him tight.

"We were both surprised to see each other." I remembered, and Kurt laughed.

"I beat you, though. I was the one who fainted..."

"True." I allowed, and they gaped at us.

"That's just insane." Rachel commented as Brody nodded in agreement.

"Tell me about it." Kurt groaned, and I muffled my laugh in his shoulder.

About fifteen minutes later, Rachel asked the dreaded question. "So, Kurt, how did Burt take it? I gather he knew about Blaine, then about how you couldn't find him..."

Feeling Kurt tense up against me, my muscles tightened in response. "You, um, you have told him about me, right?" I asked nervously.

Biting his lip, Kurt hedged, "Maybe? I might've forgotten to..."

Giving him a horrified look, he shrugged. "I thought you'd want to talk to him face to face."

"So he can shoot me that much easier for causing his son a year of misery?" I asked, aghast, and Kurt smirked.

" 'A year of misery', Blaine? Egotistic much?"

"All the time!" I winked at him, and Kurt blushed slightly.

"Okay, so, trip to Ohio sometime soon? Or should we invite him up here?" Kurt asked me.

"Invite him up here? That way he can't kick me out of his house?" I suggested, and Kurt chuckled.

"He'd never do that. You guys seemed to get along well when you first met."

"Yeah, that was because we were talking about how I should ask you out, not bail on you for a year!" I protested, and Kurt shook his head.

"Oh, man up, honey. I'm gonna call him now. Any particular time he should come?" Kurt asked, reaching for his cell phone.

Thinking about my schedule (which was really unnecessary, seeing as anything Kurt-related was always my top-priority), I suggested, "As soon as possible? I don't have any concerts coming up, so if I do have to go to the hospitable, I won't miss anything big."

"You goofball." Kurt hit me lightly in the shoulder, and dialed in his dad's number while Rachel and Brody looked on in amusement.

"Hey, dad, how are you?" Kurt asked cheerfully. "Yeah, I'm fine. Actually, I'm great. Anyway, I was wondering if you'd like to visit New York sometime...well, Rachel would love to see you, of course, and there's something I wanted to talk to you about in person...no, don't worry, it's nothing bad." Kurt nodded. "I'll see you on Wednesday, then. I love you, dad." Kurt smiled, then hung up.

He turned to me. "He'll be here Wednesday night."

Groaning, I fell back on the coach. "I'm soooo dead."

The rest of the weekend and the start of the week passed too quickly. Before I knew it, it was Wednesday afternoon, and I was shrugging on my coat to leave the studio.

"So, you and Kurt going out tonight?" Wes asked, taking in my nervous state.

"No, not exactly." I answered, and David chuckled.

"You gonna expand on that, or just leave it up to our minds?"

I looked at David in shocked surprise. "David!" Wes scolded, trying not to laugh too hard.

"Seriously, you're asking me this question after dating Kurt for three weeks? Weirdo." I muttered, then stood up straight. "Nope, I'm meeting the dad."

Cocking an eyebrow, Wes questioned, "I thought you'd already met the dad...a year ago..."

Grabbing my bag, I answered, "And that, my friend, is why I'm so freaking nervous. Wish me luck!"

"Good luck!" the two of them chorused, and with a short wave, I was outta there.

Kurt and I had decided to make dinner beforehand (in Kurt's apartment, which Rachel and Brody had willingly vacated), and have Kurt talk to Burt first, reveal me, then let me talk (preferably before the shotgun came out).

I helped Kurt make a healthy dinner for his dad (or what I occasionally called 'rabbit food'), then hid (yes, I hid) in his room when the doorbell rang. "You're insane." Kurt chuckled my way as he went to get the door.

"Hey, Kurt!" a deep, familiar voice rumbled through the apartment, and I heard Kurt's laugh.

"Dad! How are you? How was your trip?" my boyfriend asked, and I could picture him taking all of Burt's bags. Heavy footsteps came down the hall, but thankfully went into the room opposite mine – Rachel's room, where Burt would be sleeping.

"I'm good, my trip was good, now tell me why I needed to come all the way to New York to talk to my son." Burt cut to the chase, and I winced. Oh lord, this is where I die...

"Well, if you'll just come sit over here..." Kurt's voice trailed off, and I heard footsteps walking away from me.

Straining my ears, I crept into the hallway, where I could hear them better. "Okay, now talk." Burt ordered, and I imagined Kurt smiling.

"Okay, so, do you remember how I've mentioned Cooper to you, dad? The NYADA professor who was giving me dance lessons?" Kurt asked his dad.

"Yeah, you and Rachel said he was a good guy. Why? Did he do something? Has something happened to him?" Burt questioned his son, tone urgent.

I heard a slight ruffling of fabric as Kurt readjusted himself on the couch before he hedged, "No, nothing happened to him now. Actually, he's doing great."

"So, what's the point of all of this?" Burt insisted, confused.

"He introduced me to his brother, actually. His, um, gay brother." Kurt stalled, and I smiled. Here it came.

"So you made me get on a plane to New York just to tell me you had a boyfriend?" Burt asked, voice still puzzled. "I mean, that's great and all, kiddo, but couldn't you have just told me over the phone?" He hesitated, then added, "What's really going on here, Kurt? It's not...is it?"

Kurt's answer was rushed, and I frowned. Who was Burt talking about? "No, no, dad, of course not, Dave's in L.A., I think. No, but you have met him before. I just want you to listen to what he has to say before you do anything." Kurt requested, and I bit back a shiver. Here it was.

Surprisingly, Burt sounded relieved. "Oh, I think I know what's going on now. Come on out, mysterious boyfriend." he called, and I stepped into the living room.

"Hi, Burt. How have you been?" I asked nervously, and Burt chuckled.

"Okay, here's the deal, Blaine. You come into our lives bout a year ago, win us all over, then disappear. The last time I talked to you, I was giving you permission to date my son. Next thing I know, you've disappeared back to New York, and my son's miserable. You don't call, you don't visit, nothing. Now, if you can give me a good explanation as to why you left my son hanging for a year, then I might not have to shoot you. Otherwise..." he trailed off, and his voice momentarily became threatening, "start talking."

Wow...that's all I could think for a second...the ability to smile and maintain a normal voice while completely terrifying me was an ability Burt wielded well...

"Would you believe me if I told you I didn't have your number?" I cringed, expecting him to discard this (kinda pitiful, really) answer. "I never actually took down your home number, or Kurt's cell phone number. All I had was your address, but by the time Cooper could be left by himself, and I had recovered from pneumonia, you had moved."

"What about a phone book?" Burt asked, voice amused, and I knew he was playing with me.

"Your address' number was listed as private. The moment it wasn't, I called, but the guy who answered didn't know where you'd moved to. I thought you might've switched towns or something." I answered readily, and Burt nodded.

"All true. So, how did you two meet again?" he asked, perfectly at ease now.

"I was practicing with Cooper, who was meeting Blaine afterwards for lunch. Blaine walked in, we got past the whole, you're alive thing, I fainted, we went out to lunch, and have been dating ever since." Kurt summarized, and Burt chuckled.

"You fainted, Kurt? Wow, Blaine, I guess you can say you really have knocked a guy off his feet now, huh?"

"True, I hadn't thought of that yet." I realized, and Kurt, laughing, poked me in the ribs, and pulled me down to sit next to him on the couch.

"And this dramatic re-entrance to each other's lives happened when, exactly?" Burt asked, glancing between us.

"A little more than three weeks ago." Kurt answered readily, and Burt eyed me.

"So you just happened to leave this out when I last called?" he asked his son, and Kurt gulped slightly.

"I wanted to make sure it wasn't a dream." he confessed, and my heart melted.

"I'm never leaving you, I swear." I muttered into Kurt's hair, and he leaned against me.

"Well, abandoning all the cuteness here, why don't we eat, and you can tell me what you've been up to for the past year." Burt eyed us fondly.

As he walked into the dining room, I exhaled heavily, and Kurt chuckled. I could feel the vibrations of his laugh against my chest. "I survived." I muttered, and the vibrations grew.

"You survived." he agreed, then got up to help his dad out.

**A/N: There you go, guys! One more chapter, then maybe the original epilogue, if you guys tell me you want it! Please review and tell me if you want the original epilogue, otherwise I'll assume you guys aren't interested...anyway, thanks for reading and sticking with this!**


	8. Chapter 8 -- The Final Concert

**A/N: Hi guys! Sorry for the delay, just dealing with sharing my house with relatives! But it's all good! Happy New Year, and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Glee...**

Chapter 8 – The Final Concert

Burt left for Ohio two days later, but not before settling down for a long chat with me. We talked about a lot of things: football, when I was going to tell his son I loved him, music, engagement rings, and concerts. When he started talking about love and commitment, I half-freaked, but Burt somehow, in an hour, got me planning how to tell Kurt I loved him.

Right before he left, he slipped something in my pocket. When I went back to my apartment, I took it out, and smiled. It was a small velvet box, perfectly sized for a ring. Opening it up, a piece of paper fell out of it. It said:

_Dear Blaine,_

_Now, I'm not saying you need this now. I mean, you've only known my son for about a month in all, but I can tell you love him, so maybe in a couple years, this will come in handy. Elizabeth got this for me after I proposed to her, but I never wore it after we were married. Keep it hidden, keep it safe, and I bet in a few years, you'll need it. _

_Love,_

_Burt_

The ring was made of platinum, with a small (not-raised) diamond in the center, and the words _My love_ inscribed on the band. In other words, it was perfect. I knew I was nowhere near ready to propose to my Kurt as we were both young and I needed to tell him I loved him first, but as Burt predicted, I knew I'd need it in a few years...

About a year later, Rachel and Brody got engaged. I was so happy for them, but even happier as this gave me the (long-awaited) opportunity to ask Kurt to move in with me. We had exchanged 'I love you's more than 10 months ago, and we already stayed in my apartment most of the time, but I wanted to ask him officially.

As it happened, I didn't ask him in some great romantic gesture...it just slipped out. We were over in his apartment, his bedroom, where he was fussing with his things. I was lying on his bed, watching him, while he organized his closet and talked to me. I loved just watching him do anything, he embodies such amazing grace and beauty in every movement...

"...So I was talking to Rachel and Brody about what they were going to do about getting a house or apartment to themselves, but they never really answered me. I kinda get the feeling that they want me to move out, y'know? Though, really, it hasn't been like I've really been living here for the last six months, has it? But still, it's my home too, and where do they expect me to go?" Kurt complained, pushing his shirts together.

"What are you going to do?" I asked, still watching avidly.

Kurt shrugged. "Well, I'm going to stay here at least until the wedding. Maybe there's a small apartment nearby that would be cheap and easy...what do you think?" he asked, back still to me.

"I think you should move in with me." the words were out of my mouth before I'd realized what I'd said.

Kurt froze, then turned to look at me. "Really? I-I can move in with you? David and Wes won't mind or anything? Is there room for me?" he asked tentatively, and I could see the light in his eyes.

Laughing, I sat up on his bed. "David won't mind at all. He actually just announced to me yesterday that he was moving out to live with his boyfriend."

Clapping his hands in excitement, Kurt trilled, "That's amazing! I'm so glad he's happy...wait..." he deflated, looking depressed.

"What? What's wrong?" I asked anxiously, unsure of why Kurt seemed sad now.

"It's just...well, how's Wes taking it? And will Wes mind me moving in?" Kurt asked nervously, and I laughed again.

"Wes is actually taking it fairly well, considering." I hedged, and Kurt looked up, still miserable.

"Considering what? The guy he likes finally came out and is dating some other guy, and Wes is fine with it?" he moaned, and I decided to put Kurt out of his misery.

"Actually, I was going to say, considering David wants them to paint their walls bubble-gum pink and electric blue...oof!" I gave a start when Kurt jumped on me in joy.

"They're finally together? They confessed their feelings? They're gonna find an apartment together and live happily ever after! Oh, finally!" he enthused, hugging me tightly.

Chuckling, I deposited Kurt on the bed beneath me, and kissed him lightly on the mouth. "So you'll move in with me?" I asked.

Kurt grinned. "I'll move in with you. But I am lending myself out to Wes and David to help decorate their new apartment. Wes is right, there should be _no_ bubble-gum pink or electric blue walls in any respectable apartment."

Giving him an Eskimo kiss, I laughed. "That's why I love you, because you are amazing."

"That's me." Kurt smiled before capturing my lips in his.

Rachel and Brody's wedding was a spectacular event, and they were thrilled when Kurt told them he was moving in with me. During the reception, Rachel summoned me over to her, grinning. "Here, I wanted you to have this." she pressed a white rose into my hand.

Looking it over, I gave her a questioning glance. She giggled. "It's from my bouquet. I know you two are probably too nice to try and catch it yourselves, preferring some other girl gets it, but keep it for luck, and know that the next wedding I go to better be yours."

Kissing her on the cheek, I whispered, "That's the plan." in her ear, and, giggling, she shooed me off.

"What did she want?" Kurt asked me when I got back to our table.

"Just, how great you looked tonight." I said, shaking my head slightly.

Giving me a slight suspicious glare, Kurt let it go, and I felt in my pocket for the rose. I'd need it soon.

A month later, Wes and David convinced me to go on another tour. When I told Kurt, I could tell he was sad, no matter how much he said he was happy for me. I didn't want to leave Kurt for several months, either, so I went to Wes and David, telling Kurt to wait for me. It took me about fifteen minutes to convince them to agree with what I wanted before I was off, hurrying back to my apartment.

There my boyfriend was, still sitting on the couch, waiting for me.

"Care to explain what that was about?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Would you open for me?" I asked him breathlessly, and his eyes widened in shock.

"O-open for you? You mean, in your concerts? On your tour? Me? Open for you?" he stuttered, stunned.

"It's just, you have the most magnificent voice I've ever heard, and this way, you would have to come along with me, and it would probably do amazing things for your fashion career later on, as you'd already be known to the world, and I wouldn't have to leave you, and we wouldn't have to order a whole other trailer, as you could just sleep in mine with me, and—" I rambled, and was cut off by Kurt kissing me. After a second, I kissed him back, and Kurt pulled away.

"But what would I sing? I don't have any songs, or a band, or backup, and I wouldn't know what to do..." it was Kurt's turn to ramble, and I stopped him the same way he'd done for me.

"I have songs I've written that I thought you'd sound amazing singing. You don't need backup, either, but Wes and David could put together some guitarists, drummers, or pianists – whatever you thought you needed – for you, but the songs are solo songs. No backup needed. And you could design all our outfits, if you wanted." I added for good measure, soothing his fears.

"Free design reign?" Kurt quirked his eyebrow at me, and I laughed, knowing I'd hit gold.

"Free design reign." I promised, and Kurt nodded.

"I'll do it."

Kurt was a hit on tour. Everybody adored him, and thought it was so adorablecuteamazingbrilliant cute-cutecute! that I'd gotten my boyfriend to open for me. Sometimes, when Kurt turned the stage over to me, people would scream for Kurt to come back, or for us to sing together. And you know what? Sometimes I did just that.

Our last concert ended up being in Chicago. Kurt and I got to be tourists for the day before the concert, and we decided to just walk through the city, stopping only for food and coffee. By the time we were done, we were so tired from walking we simply collapsed on our hotel bed, put in Disney movies and fell asleep in each other's arms.

In the morning, I woke up with my boyfriend snuggled close to my chest. This was it...this was the day that would decide the rest of our lives...

Kurt went on first, as normal, and the crowd loved him, as normal. He performed for longer than normal, as they just wouldn't let him off the stage. Finally, I walked onto the stage, hugging Kurt, and the crowd went even wilder.

"How ya doing, Chicago?" I yelled into the microphone, and cupped my hand around my ear as they roared. "Well, I'm gonna let Kurt go for now, but if you guys are good, maybe we'll pull him back for one more song at the end. How does that sound?"

They all started screaming happily, and I kissed Kurt on the cheek. "I'll see you soon." I muttered, to which Kurt whispered,

"Go kill it, tiger."

With a brief hug, Kurt sauntered off the stage, and I turned to the screaming audience. Now it was my turn.

As I finished my last song, I smiled as the crowd cheered. "So, that's it, guys! Thanks so much for coming!" I told them, winking, and they all started chanting, 'Kurt! Kurt! Kurt!'

Looking to the side of the stage where I knew he was standing, I asked, "What, you guys want Kurt? Come on out, then, Kurt!"

My completely-gorgeous boyfriend walked out onto the stage, and I turned back to the crowd. "Duet?"

They all started yelling, so I nodded. "Shall we?"

Kurt nodded, and we began our duet, that I'd written specially for the two of us. When it was over and the fans were cheering, I waved my arms to quiet them down. "Hey guys! I hope you really enjoyed the concert! There was one other thing I wanted to say tonight, though, so could you guys give me one more minute of your time?"

They quieted down after a minute, and I could feel them looking at the two of us.

"See, there's a really special guy I'm in love with, and I think you guys all know him. I actually met him at a concert of mine, my first concert ever, actually. So, seeing as this is the last concert of our tour, I thought now would be the perfect moment. Kurt Hummel," I turned to face Kurt's completely shocked face, and, pulling out that little velvet box, knelt down in front of him, "will you marry me?"

There was a split moment of utter silence where I knew everyone in the crowd and around us was leaning forward, straining to hear Kurt's answer, but all I could see was the beautiful boy in front of me. After a second of shock, Kurt nodded, gasping, "Yes, yes, yes!" and threw himself into my arms. As the fans went absolutely crazy, screaming and yelling our names, I began to cry, and I could feel Kurt trembling against me. This was it, this was how the rest of our lives would be. Somehow I knew this was the way things would turn out since I first laid eyes on my Kurt. Who knew being verbally abused in a public bathroom by a total stranger would lead to this?

**A/N: And there you go! I hope you enjoyed this story! If you want me to publish to original epilogue (basically the same thing as the last two chapters in one page!), please review and tell me! Thanks so much, and have an amazing new year! :)**


	9. Chapter 9 -- Original Epilogue

**A/N: So this is it, guys *insert teary face here*...thank you all soooo much for reviewing, following, and favoriting this – it's meant so much to me, and I'm so glad y'all enjoyed it! Here's the final update (unless all my teachers decide to give me no more homework, and I have endless free time to write!), and I hope you enjoy it. It's short, it's sweet, and the last two chapters on fast-forward. Remember, this takes place right after Chapter 6...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, nor will I ever.**

Chapter 9 – Original Epilogue

In the end, we did reach that sixth date, and we did tell Rachel (and Brody) the whole story of how we met. Their reactions were priceless, though I was surprised at how mad Rachel got at my (yes, my) Kurt for not telling her he was hurt. Brody also showed some concern, though he was appeased that I had been there for Kurt. After they both had gotten over their indignation, they cooed over us some more, laughing at Kurt's wit in our first meeting, and 'aww'ing over how we'd searched for each other.

Rachel and Brody got engaged a year later. Their relationship had a few rocks (mainly around big auditions), but they managed happily together.

Kurt and Cooper continued to dance together, often with me sitting in. After a month or two of dating Kurt, Cooper had invited me to watch one of their lessons, and hey, who was I to give up a chance to see my gorgeous boyfriend dance?

Kurt moved in with me after a year and a half of dating. Consequently, I churned out a new album in record time. I think Wes made some comment about how I finally found my perfect muse.

When I went on tour for my new album, it was David who made the brilliant suggestion of having Kurt sing/open for me. Suffice to say, Kurt was pleased with this suggestion, and readily agreed. He used the opportunity to not only prove to the world his singing ability, but his fashion by also designing both our outfits.

The last concert we did was in Chicago, and for the last song, I pulled Kurt out again to perform with me. At the end of the song, I addressed the crowd, "Hey, guys! I hope you enjoyed the concert! I was wondering if you guys could give me one more minute of your time? That okay?"

They roared with enthusiasm, and I grinned. "See, there's this special guy in my life who I think you all know. Seeing as I met him at a concert of mine, my first concert, actually, I thought now would be the perfect time."

Smiling at Kurt's shocked and confused face, I reached into my pocket for the little box I'd been carrying around for the past week. Kneeling down, I grasped Kurt's hand. "Kurt, you are the love of my life. I can't think of anyone better to spend the rest of my life with, so," I opened the box to reveal a simple platinum ring, "will you marry me?"

Starting to cry, Kurt nodded furiously, flinging himself into my arms. As I hugged my fiance tightly, the stands went wild with fans going crazy. Clutching Kurt to my chest, I smiled, beginning to cry as well. I was really the lucky one, in all of this. Who knew being verbally abused in a public bathroom by a total stranger would lead to this?

**A/N: Thanks again, guys! I hope you enjoyed it, and have a happy New Year! :)**


End file.
